TTP and Daesh equated as equal threats

Islamabad tells international interlocutors there is no distinction between the two banned terror outfits

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan has been telling the international interlocutors that there is no distinction between the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Daesh in an effort to galvanise support for exerting pressure on the Afghan Taliban government.

Many countries in the region and beyond consider Daesh as an immediate threat while they view the TTP as Pakistan’s problem. This view held by certain countries is making it difficult for Islamabad to garner the kind of support it needed against the TTP.

Against the backdrop of ongoing surge in terrorist attacks in Pakistan, authorities are briefing key stakeholders about the TTP posing a threat to their interests. One of the arguments Pakistan is making with those countries is that both the TTP and Daesh are the same.

Also read: Pakistan terms TTP a global security threat

“They are working in tandem. Don’t draw a distinction between the two,” said a source familiar with backdoor efforts to garner support against the Taliban regime. A diplomatic source also confirmed to The Express Tribune that they were recently briefed by Pakistani officials about the likely nexus between the TTP and Daesh.

The purpose behind Pakistan’s latest push is to make the international community realise that the TTP is as dangerous as Daesh. Pakistan is hoping that the international community would not turn a blind eye towards the activities of the TTP.

According to sources, Pakistan wants the international players to treat the TTP threat the same way as they are in the case of Daesh. Daesh took responsibility for major terrorist attacks not just in Pakistan, Iran and now in Russia.

Also read: CENTCOM chief points to Taliban inaction against TTP

There are fears that Daesh could replicate Moscow-style attacks in other countries. The US intelligence agencies, according to American media reports, warned of a potential Daesh attack in the US. Many countries were briefed by Pakistan about the close working relationship between the TTP and Daesh.

The terrorist outfit first emerged on the scene in Afghanistan in 2015. Daesh’s Afghan chapter was set up mostly by terrorists, who were previously part of the TTP and its affiliates. With the latest diplomatic manoeuvres, Pakistan is trying to remind the world that Afghanistan is once again becoming a hub of terrorists.

Pakistan’s efforts met some success at the recent meeting of National Security Advisers from Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries. The meeting was hosted by Kazakhstan, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the nine-member security bloc, comprising China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, India and certain Central Asian states.

The SCO in its joint statement expressed concerns over the presence of international terrorist outfits and their leaders in Afghanistan. It asked the Afghan Taliban government to fulfil the promises made with the international community.