Tag: TTP

  • LEAs stop TTP from establishing footprint in Balochistan

    LEAs stop TTP from establishing footprint in Balochistan

    Law enforcement agencies have foiled a Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attempt to establish a foothold in Balochistan by arresting a most wanted commander and several other members of the banned outfit in different areas of the province.

    The security situation in Pakistan has been deteriorating since the past few months, especially in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

    “With the arrest of the TTP commander and other terrorists, their efforts to establish centres in the province have been foiled,” stated a spokesman for the Counter Terrorism Department on Thursday.

    The CTD, along with other law enforcement agencies, conducted operations and arrested several militants, including the wanted TTP commander.

    He also said, “The arrested commander was involved in various terrorist activities in different areas of the country.”

  • Pakistan calls on Afghanistan to hand over TTP terrorists involved in attack on Chinese

    Pakistan calls on Afghanistan to hand over TTP terrorists involved in attack on Chinese

    Pakistan on Sunday demanded that the Taliban government in Afghanistan hand over Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists involved in the Besham attack on Chinese nationals.

    “Whether Afghanistan try the terrorists [in the court of law] or not, it should hand over the militants to Pakistan,” said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in a press conference.

    Pakistan has recently been urging Afghan authorities to keep a check on TTP infiltration from its side of the borders and relations with the neighbor have also soured in the past two years.

    At least six people including five Chinese nationals were killed after a suicide bomber rammed into the bus transporting the staff working on the Dasu hydropower project in Bisham, Shangla district, in March this year.

    Pakistani authorities said that the TTP operated the Besham terror attack from inside Afghanistan.

    Responding to a question, Naqvi said that Pakistan’s government had contacted the interim authorities in Kabul but “good results are not coming from there.”

  • Arrested target killer of police among four killed in encounter

    Arrested target killer of police among four killed in encounter

    A suspected serial-killer of the police and alleged member of the banned militant group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Faizan Butt, who was reportedly involved in three attacks on police officials in Lahore within a week, was killed along with three other terrorists during an encounter in Karol Ghatti on Sunday night.

    The counter-terrorism department’s spokesperson told the media that the team took the arrested terrorists to Karol Jungle for seizure of weapons. Meanwhile, about six terrorists opened fire on the police, as a result, four of the terrorists were shot dead by the firing of their accomplices while three managed to escape.

    The police seized two Kalashnikovs and a pistol from the spot, he said.

    Faizan had shot dead a sub-inspector and a constable after following them when they were unarmed on their way back home. He had also shot and injured another police constable. Investigations revealed that he recorded the attacks by using a pen camera, ensuring that the victim was dead before leaving. He then sent the recordings to his handlers as proof.

    He was arrested from a housing society on May 3.

    Initial investigations suggested that the suspect was frustrated because the police had registered a case against him.

    The CTD had received information that he had contacted some people in his area to help him join a militant organisation.

    Later, Faizan got arrested for carrying explosives and he was sent to prison. There he met a jailed leader of a banned sectarian outfit who helped him in getting released on bail.

    He went to Afghanistan where he had meetings with TTP leaders who assigned him the task of killing six policemen to prove his loyalty.

    The suspect revealed in police custody that the banned group had arranged a 30-bore and a 9mm pistol for the killings.

    Faizan’s father was a manager in a factory and lived in Shadbagh. His mother had separated from him and lived in the private housing society.

  • 70 people lost lives in militant attacks in April

    70 people lost lives in militant attacks in April

    Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based think-tank, published its monthly security assessment report in which it was revealed that militant attacks claimed 70 lives in April 2024.

    According to the monthly report, Pakistan experienced at least 77 militant attacks during the month of April which resulted in 70 deaths, including 35 civilians and 31 members of security forces.

    Total number of injured people was 67.

    As compared to the previous month, there has been a stark increase in attacks. In March, Pakistan experienced 56 militant attacks.

    This indicates a 38 per cent increase in the number of militant attacks, although there was a nine per cent decline in deaths, with no change in the number of injuries.

  • Hapless KP government paid Rs 5 crore to TTP for freeing abducted judge

    Hapless KP government paid Rs 5 crore to TTP for freeing abducted judge

    Sessions Judge Shakirullah Marwat, who was abducted by unidentified kidnappers on Dera Ismail Khan’s Tank Road, returned home safely on Monday. However, senior journalist Azaz Syed has revealed that the “Judge was released after the KP government paid five crores to terrorists as extortion.”

    According to Syed, “The Marwat clan played a positive role in getting the hostage back, especially, Sher Afzal Marwat.”

    He said the Marwat clan reached the “shadow governor of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)” and they initially demanded seven crores but settled on five crores as the extortion payment.

    Azaz Syed asserted that this is the most unfortunate circumstance that the provincial government was held hostage by the banned TTP and the group has appointed their representatives or shadow governors in every district.

    The journalist remarked that this is an extremely alarming situation that the TTP is operating so freely in DI Khan and can abduct a serving judge.

    He said, “They’re extorting the common people there as well.”

  • Two TTP terrorists killed in Punjab while crossing over from KP

    Two TTP terrorists killed in Punjab while crossing over from KP

    The Khorasan Diary has reported that two terrorists were killed in Bhakkar, Punjab while entering the province from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

    Their post read, “Two militants have been killed in Bhakkar, Punjab in an exchange of firing with Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab, according to officials the militants were trying to cross over from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: CTD Punjab.”

    Recently, the Chief Minister of KP Ali Amin Gandapur said in a conference about the increasing cases of terrorism that “terrorists can access Punjab too but it is due to the sacrifices of KP police that this is not happening.”

    The Khorasan Diary also reported, “The militants have been identified as the affiliates of Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan. They were entering Punjab for an attack. A grand search and sweep operation had been launched to arrest the other militants: CTD Punjab”

  • CM KP Gandapur says negotiations with terrorists ‘is the only solution’

    CM KP Gandapur says negotiations with terrorists ‘is the only solution’

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has stated that ‘negotiations’ is the only way to move forward in dealing with terrorism.

    Addressing a press conference, the CM KP said, “Imran Khan stated that we should not become a part of somebody else’s war and that negotiations are the only solution.”

    Gandapur also added that “whatever we have done before has not yielded any results but rather we have suffered.”

    It should be noted that the Imran Khan-led government, after the Afghan Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021, pursued infamous “peace deals” with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which failed.

    Historically, Pakistan has tried to negotiate at least a half dozen of these ‘peace deals’ with the TTP and every single one has failed.

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has stated that the former Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa and the ex-spymaster General Faiz Hamid should be held accountable for their policy of allowing the Taliban to return to Pakistan.

    According to Asif, ‘generals painted a rosy picture’ of a new era if the TTP were allowed back in the country.

    The Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) annual report revealed that more than 1500 people lost their lives in 2023 due to terror attacks.

    Pakistan has witnessed a stark increase in terror attacks since the Afghan Taliban came into power in the neighbouring country.

    Pakistan continues to blame Afghanistan for their inaction against anti-Pakistan elements and even conducted surgical strikes inside Afghanistan in March 2024 targeting hideouts of commanders of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

    Social media reactions were mostly mixed regarding the CM KP’s statement.

  • Serious lapses in security protocol of slain Chinese nationals

    Serious lapses in security protocol of slain Chinese nationals

    Since a tragic terror attack in Shangla claimed six lives including five Chinese citizens, a decision to constitute an investigative committee was taken by the government.

    The attack exposed serious lapses in the security detail of the Chinese engineers and a disregard for standard operating procedures (SOPs).

    The committee was shocked to find out that the bus carrying the Chinese officials was not bulletproof, let alone bombproof, which is the requirement under the security SOPs.

    It pointed out multiple significant flaws in the security detail due to which the incident took place.

    They further said the company “that was required to provide bullet- and bombproof vehicles to transport Chinese workers, and duly paid for, failed to meet its contractual obligations.”

    Moreover, according to the SOPs, the District Police Officer in Upper Kohistan was supposed to be informed about the movements of the foreign nationals in advance which did not happen.

  • We don’t want armed conflict with Afghanistan, says Khawaja Asif

    We don’t want armed conflict with Afghanistan, says Khawaja Asif

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that Pakistan does not want armed conflict with neighbouring Afghanistan, stressing that using force was the last option.

    The defence minister, in an interview with Voice of America on Wednesday, stated that Pakistan might block the trade corridor it gave to Afghanistan for trading with India. He added that Pakistan had the right to stop helping Kabul if it didn’t control terrorists against Pakistan who were active in Afghanistan.

    “If Afghanistan treats us like an enemy, then why should we give them a trade corridor?” Asif said.

    He passed the remarks after Pakistan launched intelligence-based anti-terrorist operations in the border regions in response to several terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

    However, Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Taliban administration, said in a statement that “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan does not allow anyone to compromise security by using Afghan territory.”

  • PPP leader Abdul Qadir Baloch proposes election delay in security challenged regions

    PPP leader Abdul Qadir Baloch proposes election delay in security challenged regions

    Former federal minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Abdul Qadir Baloch has recommended postponing the general elections in areas that are not safe or facing security challenges.

    The PPP leader said in an interview on Saturday that by-polls can be conducted in these areas later, stressing that it will not be good to postpone general elections due to just six or seven constituencies.

    “Attacks by TTP in Balochistan are way higher than those by Baloch separatists,” the PPP leader said, adding that the terrorist organisation often targets Kalat, Mastung, and neighbouring areas.

    He also said that security threats are real because Baloch separatists don’t believe in the politics of parliament, calling the elements a hurdle for politicians to run their election campaigns.

    Abdul Qadir Baloch then said that interior minister Sarfraz Bugti should not have publicly talked to the media about threats to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, adding that it’s the caretaker government’s responsibility to give security to all politicians.