UNITED NATIONS: A new United Nations (UN) report has acknowledged the action taken by Pakistani government against individuals engaged in terrorist activities and goes on to say that terror group Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was responsible for over 100 ‘cross-border’ attacks within three months last year.
On its part, Pakistan has consistently highlighted the terrorism threat from the TTP. In its 27th report to the United Nations Security Council, under the United Nations (UN) monitoring team that tracks al-Qaeda, Islamic State and other extremist groups points to the arrests in Pakistan of “individuals engaging in terrorism financing and the freezing of the assets of designated individuals and entities”. The report says that there will be a surge in attacks by TTP, Daesh and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) after the ending of coronavirus sanctions. Diplomats noted that the UN acknowledgement of Pakistan actions comes at a time when India continues to blame Pakistan for inaction against the designated groups.
Reporting on the activities of the TTP, the UN report saw the “reunification of splinter groups (of TTP) that took place in Afghanistan”. The report records that “five entities pledged alliance to TTP in July and August 2020, including the Shahryar Mehsud group, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Hizb-ul-Ahrar, the Amjad Farooqi group and the Usman Saifullah group (formerly known as Lashkar-e- Jhangvi)”.
“TTP was responsible for more than 100 cross-border attacks between July and October 2020,” stated the report and further estimated the TTP’s fighting strength to range from 2,500 and 6,000 members.
The report cautions that the merger of TTP has enhanced the threat of terrorism to Pakistan and the region, as it has ‘increased the strength of TTP and resulted in a sharp increase in attacks’.
In this regard, the UN reported, “TTP was responsible for more than 100 cross-border attacks between July and October 2020.”
The report said that, based on estimates, the TTP’s fighting strength ranges between 2,500 and 6,000.
Last year, Pakistan handed over a dossier to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the Indian sponsorship of TTP and JuA. Both terrorist groups have been designated by the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the Security Council (UNSC).
“We knew of India’s hand in such attacks,” Pakistan’s envoy to the UN Munir Akram had said at a press conference after handing over the dossier to the UN secretary-general. “We now have gathered irrefutable evidence that India is engaged in a systematic campaign to destabilise Pakistan through terrorist attacks, promotion of secession and subversion in what is called Hybrid/5th generation war.”
India, he said, was also seeking to utilise UNSC mechanisms to defame Pakistan by portraying itself as a victim of terrorism. “It is abusing the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to damage Pakistan’s economy.”
