Afghanistan’s Taliban regime is unlikely to stop supporting militants in Pakistan as it feels that economic troubles prevent Islamabad from launching a major operation against the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), warned a report released in Washington on Tuesday by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).
According to the report, amid Pakistan’s economic crisis and the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan, the TTP has reemerged as an increasingly potent threat.
Referring to the Afghan Taliban’s recent criticism of Pakistan’s policies, the report argued that “this undiplomatic rhetoric underscores the Afghan Taliban’s determination to continue supporting the TTP, even in the face of intensified pressure from Pakistan”.
The USIP, considered one of the largest and most credible think tanks on South Asia policies, said that the Afghan Taliban’s response to being confronted about their support for the TTP “has been to level counter-accusations — which does not signal an impending shift away from that support”.
Such rhetorical signals are matched by anecdotal reports from UN officials and other observers — quoted in the USIP report — of TTP individuals moving freely and conducting business in Afghan cities.
According to this report, another key factor shaping the Pakistani response is the country’s deteriorating economy, which is on the brink of bankruptcy.
“That limits Pakistan’s military options. Pakistan can carry out raids and undertake defensive actions inside the country, but it doesn’t have the resources for a sustained high-intensity campaign,” the USIP warned.
Read all the Latest News here
Comments
0 comment