Taliban ‘unlikely to stop support for TTP'
Afghanistan's Taliban rulers are unlikely to discontinue supporting militants in Pakistan as they feel that economic troubles prevent Islamabad from launching a major operation against the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), according to a new report from a leading United States think tank.
'Amid Pakistan's economic crisis and the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan, the Pakistani Taliban have reemerged as an increasingly potent threat,' warned the report, released in Washington on Tuesday by the US Institute of Peace (USIP).
Referring to Afghanistan's recent criticism of Islamabad's policies, the report argued that 'this undiplomatic rhetoric underscores the Taliban's determination to continue supporting the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, even in the face of intensified pressure from Pakistan'.
USIP argued that the 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'.
According to this report, another key factor shaping the Pakistani response is the country's deteriorating economy, which is on the brink of a default. 'That limits Pakistan's army options. Pakistan can carry out raids and undertake defensive actions inside the country, but it does not have the resources for a sustained high-intensity campaign,' US Institute of Peace warned.
The USIP reported that some Taliban fighters were also joining the TTP, and some recent bombers, who carried out attacks inside Pakistan, were also Afghanistan.
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