The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has issued a warning to the Pakistani military, declaring that it will continue targeting security personnel and expand its attacks to include the army’s business interests. This escalation comes in the wake of Pakistan’s airstrikes in Afghanistan targeting suspected TTP hideouts.
In a statement released on Sunday, the TTP announced its intention to strike various businesses owned by the military. These include the National Logistics Cell, Frontier Works Organisation, Fauji Fertiliser Company, military-run housing authorities, a commercial bank, and other military-affiliated organizations. The group also advised civilians to withdraw investments from military-operated businesses within three months and encouraged employees to seek alternative jobs.
The warning follows growing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, particularly due to the TTP’s activities. The Pakistani military has conducted airstrikes on Afghan soil, targeting alleged TTP hideouts. Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering TTP militants and facilitating cross-border attacks, a claim that the Afghan Taliban denies.
The TTP, which has been involved in insurgent activity against the Pakistani state for over a decade, demands the implementation of strict Islamic law, the release of imprisoned members, and the reversal of the merger of Pakistan’s tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, TTP violence has escalated, with nearly 1,000 deaths reported in 2023.
Security analysts warn that the TTP’s shift in strategy, targeting military businesses, could trigger a wave of violence in Pakistan’s urban centers. The group, led by Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud since 2018, has traditionally focused on security forces, but recent events, including civilian casualties from airstrikes, may have prompted this change in approach.
