RASC News Agency: Asif Durani, Pakistan’s former special envoy to Afghanistan, has disclosed that approximately six thousand fighters from Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are currently based in Afghanistan. He added that TTP’s leadership resides in Kabul. Durani noted that the Taliban’s unfamiliarity with diplomatic principles has led to their disregard for standard international diplomatic norms.
Durani emphasized that he had repeatedly urged the Taliban to reopen girls’ schools, but Taliban officials responded by stating they first needed to consolidate their government before addressing the issue of reopening educational institutions. He also remarked that while the Taliban have not denied TTP’s presence in Afghanistan, they have claimed to be managing the group. According to Durani, the Taliban indicated plans to relocate TTP fighters to central Afghanistan.
TTP’s stronghold primarily lies in the provinces bordering Pakistan, such as Nangarhar, Kunar, Khost, Paktia, and Paktika. Durani further stated that while half of TTP’s members remain in Pakistan, around six thousand are stationed in Afghanistan, with the group’s leadership residing in Kabul. Durani also noted that some TTP forces are particularly active in Khost province and along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. He called on the Taliban to hand over TTP militants to Islamabad, where they would be dealt with under Pakistani law. Since the Taliban’s return to power, TTP has regained momentum, with the group’s attacks increasing by nearly seventy percent over the past two years.
TTP has carried out sophisticated assaults in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, targeting military installations and Pakistan’s security apparatus. These attacks have resulted in significant casualties, with dozens of Pakistani security personnel either killed or injured.
