ISLAMABAD : Defense sources and ground realities have categorically dismissed claims of differences, pressure, or arrests between the Afghan Taliban administration and the proscribed Fitnat al-Khawarij — the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — terming such narratives as fabrications, misleading propaganda, and a mere security drama.
According to official assessments, the TTP not only maintains safe havens with the consent of the Afghan interim government but also enjoys full state patronage for its logistical, financial, and command structures — through which it continues to orchestrate and execute terrorist operations against Pakistan.
The 38th Monitoring Report of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), covering December 16, 2025, to June 9, 2026, has confirmed this nexus. The report states unequivocally that “the de facto authorities (Taliban) continued their support to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which escalated attacks against Pakistan, provoking military exchanges”. It further noted that cross-border attacks between the two countries escalated, driven largely by a high volume of TTP attacks. UN Monitoring Team Coordinator Colin Smith also confirmed that the TTP has received active support and cooperation from the Taliban, describing the increase in cross-border attacks as a serious concern not only for Pakistan but for the wider region.
The report revealed that Afghan authorities relocated approximately 2,000 TTP fighters and their families from the Pakistani border to deeper inside Afghanistan in an effort to rein in the group — a move the UN said was aimed more at managing the group than dismantling its infrastructure. Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada reportedly warned the TTP leadership through back-channel communications to halt attacks against Pakistan or risk losing Taliban support. Despite this, the TTP continued to escalate attacks, announcing its spring campaign “Operation Khyber” in March.
Experts and defense analysts maintain that the so-called toughening or differences narrative propagated by the Taliban government is a deliberate tactic to “throw dust in the eyes” of the international community and evade international pressure. “From ‘Good Taliban, Bad Taliban’ to ‘Afghan Taliban are friends,’ the narrative has shifted to the reality that the TTP and Afghan Taliban are two faces of the same coin,” one analyst observed. A senior defense source emphasized that real action will only be considered complete when terrorist training centers, command networks, and financial sources in Afghanistan are practically and completely eliminated.
The UN report also pointed to growing operational and facilitation linkages among the TTP, Al-Qaeda, Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIL-K), and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). Al-Qaeda’s official media outlet issued a statement on April 28 supporting the Taliban and, for the first time, the TTP in operations against Pakistan. The monitoring team further noted that Al-Qaeda trainers have provided training to TTP members to strengthen their capabilities.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office has called on Afghanistan to undertake immediate, effective, and robust measures to dismantle these terror networks and prevent their territory from being used for terrorist activities targeting Pakistan
