The Pakistani Taliban declared an end to the ceasefire agreed with the Pakistani government last June and commanded its fighters to carry out attacks all over the country.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, cited the Pakistani military’s increasing operations against them in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the primary reason for their decision to end the ceasefire with the government.
Pakistan: Proscribed outfit TTP ends ceasefire, orders nationwide attacks
Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/HnXqe1HKT7#TTP #Pakistan #ceasefire pic.twitter.com/xWZfJ2XVYP— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) November 28, 2022
The government and the armed group reached a ceasefire agreement after multiple rounds of talks facilitated by the Afghan Taliban this year.
“As military operations are ongoing against mujahideen in different areas, … so it is imperative for you to carry out attacks wherever you can in the entire country,” a statement released by the Pakistani Taliban said last Monday.
“We submit to the people of Pakistan that we have repeatedly warned you and continued to be patient so that the negotiation process is not sabotaged, at least by us, but the army and intelligence agencies do not stop and continue the attacks, so now our retaliatory attacks will also start across the country,” the statement continued.
The declaration was also made by the armed rebel group hours after the Pakistani government announced that its state minister for foreign affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, would visit Afghanistan to hold talks with the Taliban government on regional security.
Last November 16th, the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for attacking a police patrol in Lakki Marwat, southwest of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s capital and largest city. Six policemen were killed during this attack. Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, said that terrorism remains one of Pakistan’s largest problems after the attack.
BREAKING: Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) says it carried out the Quetta suicide attack on FC truck that killed a child and hurt 23 mostly personnel of the FC. This is fourth attack claimed by the proscribed TTP after it announced to end ceasefire on Monday
— Naimat Khan (@NKMalazai) November 30, 2022
The Pakistani government or military did not give any comments regarding the TTP’s statement ending the ceasefire at this time.
Although they are allies with the Afghan Taliban, the Pakistani Taliban are a separate group operating mainly within the former northwestern tribal areas, which had been integrated into Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. After the Taliban took over Afghanistan last year while US and NATO forces were leaving the country, the Pakistani Taliban was encouraged by the takeover, whose leaders and fighters are hiding in Afghanistan. The group has also used Pakistan’s rugged borders with Afghanistan to carry out attacks and for hideouts.
The TTP has waged an insurgency against the Pakistani government for over a decade. They continue to demand a stricter implementation of Sharia law, the release of the group’s key members detained by the government, a reduction of military presence in the former northwestern tribal areas, and the reversal of their integration with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
During the talks between the TTP and the Pakistani government mediated by the Afghan Taliban, the latter asked the armed group to disband, accept its constitution, and cut all ties with the Islamic State, a Sunni militant group with an affiliate group active in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.
