Islamabad, Pakistan – Following a devastating suicide bombing that claimed the lives of scores of police officers in a mosque, Pakistan is seeking the assistance of the Taliban supreme leader to rein in militants operating in the country. As the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan, the country has experienced a significant rise in cross-border attacks, where militants take advantage of the rough terrain to carry out assaults and avoid detection.
Officials have pointed the finger at an affiliate of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for the January 30th blast in Peshawar, which left over 100 people dead at a mosque located within a secure police compound. The TTP shares common roots and beliefs with the Afghan Taliban, led by Hibatullah Akhundzada, who operates from his hiding place in Kandahar.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister Faisal Karim Kundi announced that delegations would be sent to both Tehran and Kabul to request that these countries prevent terrorists from using their soil against Pakistan. A senior police official stated that the delegation to Kabul would hold discussions with the Taliban’s top leaders, including Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Despite the warning from Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to not “pass the blame to others,” as he advised Pakistan to “see the problems in their own house,” the delegation to Kabul will still proceed with its mission. The Afghan officials did not respond immediately to requests for comment from the media.
In the past, during the 20-year US-led intervention in Afghanistan, Pakistan faced accusations of providing covert support to the Afghan Taliban. However, since the ultra-conservative group took control of Kabul in 2021, their relationship with Pakistan has become strained, largely due to the resurgence of the TTP. According to the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, in the first year of Taliban rule, Pakistan saw a 50% increase in militant attacks, primarily concentrated in the border regions with Afghanistan and Iran.
The TTP, which gained notoriety for the shooting of schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, has “arguably benefitted the most” among foreign extremist groups in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover, according to a UN Security Council report from May 2022. Last year, Kabul attempted to broker peace talks between Islamabad and the TTP, but the fragile truce ultimately broke down.
