Tuesday, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry commented that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan was in a state of disarray after India had halted its funding, during a press conference in Islamabad.
“We should be satisfied to know with regards to the TTP that for the first time the process of Indian funding [to them], which had been going on for a long time, has ended and at this time they are in disarray.”
TTP has been banned in Pakistan. But there is anticipation that after the recent success of Taliban in Afghanistan, TTP might pose challanges across the border. But the Minister stated that Pakistan wasn’t a weak country and was perfectly capabale of dealing with TTP.
“These internal challenges are not a problem for us. We expect that once they stop having a funding stream from abroad then it will be a big blow for them and the rest we will handle ourselves.”
The Minister showed confidence in the Taliban’s promise that Afghanistan would not be utilised for terrorism agaisnt any country.
“We think the Taliban authorities will act on this. [….] Pakistan’s top terrorists from the BLA (Balochistan Liberation Army) and TTP are sitting in Afghanistan and we want them”
“We hope we will have cooperation from Afghanistan on this. Inside the country we will look at these matters ourselves,” Chaudhry added.
On Monday, the Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid informed the media that Pakistan’s government was in contact with the Taliban to act agaisnt TTP. The Taliban had reassured Pakistan that TTp would not be allowed to act in Afghanistan against Pakistan.
Last week the spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Office said, “Pakistan has been taking up the issue of the use of Afghan soil by the TTP for terrorist activities inside Pakistan with the previous Afghan government and would continue raising the issue with the incoming government in Kabul as well to ensure that the TTP is not provided any space in Afghanistan to operate against Pakistan,”.
