The presence of Tehreek–e–Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan and its terrorist activities against Pakistan has been a source of contention between the Taliban and Pakistan in the last two years. Pakistan is the country with which the Taliban have had the most border disputes. Pakistani officials visited Kabul in November 2022 and February 2023, discussing with Taliban officials the necessity of suppressing or expelling TTP from Afghanistan.
Recently, Rana Sanaullah, the Minister of Interior of Pakistan, stated in an interview with the VOA that the Taliban had promised to relocate the TTP from the border areas to the interior areas of Afghanistan. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban Spokesperson, confirmed this claim and stated that this plan was implemented to address Pakistan‘s concerns, though he did not specify the exact areas to which the TTP was transferred. In response to this news, the head of foreign relations of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) declared that the Taliban intend to establish settlements for TTP members and their families in the northern provinces of Afghanistan, which could potentially lead to increased instability in Afghanistan and the region.
The question is why have the Taliban set off the scheme to transfer TTP from the border areas?
- The Taliban Are Friends with TTP
Pakistan has demanded two things from the Taliban: the suppression of the TTP or its expulsion from Afghanistan. However, the Taliban have chosen a different path, instead sending the TTP away from the border areas. This is likely an attempt to maintain a relationship between Pakistan and the TTP, as the two groups have fought alongside each other for many years against the United States and the previous government of Afghanistan, and both ideologically pursue the goal of establishing an Islamic emirate in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Additionally, the TTP is said to have pledged allegiance to the supreme leader of the Taliban, which could further strengthen the bond between the two groups.
- The Taliban Have Manipulated the World
The world has demanded the utmost from the Taliban to combat terrorist groups, yet there has been no news of any fighting and the activities of these groups have only increased the world‘s concern, particularly in the countries of the region. At a meeting between the Taliban, Pakistan, and China held in Islamabad this year, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban Foreign Minister, declared at the Strategic Studies Institute in Islamabad that not only is Afghanistan‘s soil not being used against other countries, but there is not even a single terrorist group present in Afghanistan.
At the start of this year, the International Crisis Group (ICG) released a report asserting that the core of the Tehreek–e–Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is located in Afghanistan. In response, Mujahid denied that the TTP had any base in Afghanistan, and accused the ICG of attempting to damage the relationship between the Taliban and Pakistan. However, the revelation of a plan to remove the TTP from the border regions indicates that the Taliban have been successful in manipulating the world thus far. Furthermore, the disclosure and implementation of this plan implies that the Taliban have breached the most significant clause of the Doha Agreement, which prohibits the use of Afghan soil against the interests of other countries.
- The Taliban Surrendered to Pakistan
It has been reported that there have been 13 border clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan thus far, leading many to believe that the Taliban are no longer under the control of Pakistan. This sentiment was further strengthened by the Taliban‘s attempts to foster a relationship with India and their progress in this area. This plan revealed that the Taliban no longer have the courage to follow Pakistan‘s orders as they did before, even when it comes to establishing ties with India. Hassan Abbas, the author of the book “The Return of the Taliban“, has stated that the Taliban initially sought Pakistan‘s approval in order to form a relationship with India.
The tone of the Pakistani Interior Minister serves as evidence that Pakistani officials were content with the Taliban, and the verbal tensions and border conflicts between the two sides have been a mere facade. For instance, Sanaullah expressed satisfaction when he stated that the Taliban had made commitments to suppress the TTP, yet they had not fulfilled these promises in practice and had not met Pakistan‘s expectations. The Taliban are adhering to Pakistan‘s demands, yet they have not taken seriously the worries of other countries in the region regarding the suppression of terrorist groups. In response to the Russian Defense Minister‘s assertion about the rise in the activity of terrorist groups in northern Afghanistan, Mujahid declared that countries in the region should not permit saboteurs to enter Afghanistan.
- Talibanizing Northern Afghanistan
It appears that the Taliban have not mentioned the areas where they are relocating the TTP; however, it appears that the target of the Taliban from the internal areas is the north of Afghanistan, where they are transferring the TTP due to the fact that the south and southeast regions share a border with Pakistan, while the northern regions are more distant from this country. Additionally, the issue of moving people from the south and east to the north has been a source of contention, even in governments not affiliated with the Taliban.
Previously, it was reported that the Taliban are intending to allocate the lands surrounding the Qosh Tepa canal to those displaced from the other side of the Durand Line. This would appear to be in pursuit of several objectives: 1– To alter the social–cultural composition of the north; 2– To eradicate the basis of resistance in the north in a drastic manner; 3– To cause difficulty for the Central Asian republics and Russia. It appears that the United States will back this plan, as maintaining the borders of the Central Asian republics in an insecure state would be more advantageous to the country.
