Activities
ISLAMABAD: A highly secretive meeting of the banned Tehreek-i-TalibanPakistan (TTP) executive council took place in Kabul on January 2 and 3,raising serious concerns about the Afghan Taliban’s continuing support foranti-Pakistan militant activities. The gathering, held in the heavilyguarded Minister Akbar Khan area, was conducted under the completepatronage and security umbrella of the Afghan Taliban authorities. Sourcesfamiliar with the development revealed that the meeting focused on planningterrorist operations inside Pakistan for the year 2026 and restructuringthe militant group’s organisational framework to enhance operationalefficiency and coordination.
The session was presided over by Noor Wali Mehsud, the current chief ofTTP, who delivered strategic directives to senior commanders present.Participants discussed long-term strategies to intensify attacks onPakistani security forces, expand recruitment drives in the tribaldistricts, and strengthen logistical networks across the porous borderregions. Intelligence assessments suggest that the agenda also includedcontingency plans in response to recent Pakistani military operations inKhyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. The deliberate exclusion ofany electronic devices and mobile phones during the proceedings underscoredthe extreme caution exercised to prevent any possible leaks or intelligenceinterception.
What makes this development particularly alarming is the open andunhindered facilitation extended by the Afghan Taliban regime. Despiterepeated diplomatic protests and evidence-sharing by Islamabad, the interimAfghan government continues to provide safe havens, logistical support, andsecurity cover to TTP leadership and fighters. This meeting represents oneof the most visible demonstrations of such patronage since the Taliban’sreturn to power in August 2021. Analysts argue that the Afghan Taliban’sreluctance to act against TTP stems from historical ideologicalaffiliations, shared Pashtun ethnic ties, and a strategic calculation tomaintain leverage against Pakistan on multiple fronts.
In a significant internal development, the proscribed Jamaat-ul-Ahrarfaction was deliberately not invited to the Kabul conclave, indicating aformal and decisive split within the broader TTP ecosystem. Sourcesindicate that differences over command structure, resource distribution,and operational priorities have deepened in recent months. Consequently,Jamaat-ul-Ahrar leadership organised a separate parallel meeting in Paktikaprovince of Afghanistan during the same period, highlighting growingfragmentation among the anti-Pakistan militant groups operating from Afghansoil. This division could potentially weaken overall coordination but mightalso lead to increased competition-driven violence along the border.
Security experts monitoring cross-border militancy patterns note that TTPhas significantly increased its attack tempo inside Pakistan sincemid-2024. Official statistics released by the military indicate that morethan 70 percent of terrorist incidents reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa andthe merged districts during the past twelve months have been attributed toTTP or its splinter factions. The group’s renewed organisational focus, asdiscussed in the Kabul meeting, is likely aimed at sustaining this momentumthrough 2026 and beyond. Pakistani authorities have repeatedly stated thatthe existence of such safe havens across the Durand Line remains the singlebiggest obstacle to restoring peace and stability in the border regions.
Diplomatic circles in Islamabad view the latest revelations as furtherconfirmation that meaningful counter-terrorism cooperation from Kabulremains elusive despite multiple rounds of high-level talks. The AfghanTaliban’s continued hosting of TTP leadership, provision of medicalfacilities, family residences, and training spaces has become a majorirritant in bilateral relations. Several international think tanks havealso documented the presence of TTP training camps in eastern Afghanprovinces, with satellite imagery and defector testimonies supporting theseclaims. The latest meeting adds concrete evidence to the pattern of tacitapproval and active facilitation.
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Pakistan continues to insist that durable peace along the western frontieris impossible without verifiable and sustained action against TTPsanctuaries inside Afghanistan. Military officials maintain that whilePakistan has conducted numerous kinetic operations against militanthideouts, the root problem lies in the provision of external support andsafe havens. The Kabul meeting has therefore reinforced calls for theinternational community to press the Afghan Taliban authorities todismantle these networks and prevent their territory from being used forplanning and launching attacks against neighbouring states.
Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1845123
Tags: Pakistan, Afghanistan, TTP, Afghan Taliban, Noor Wali Mehsud
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