In a recent statement, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) reiterated its stance regarding confrontations with parties or institutions other than the Pakistan Army, which they labeled a “slave army” and merely remnants of the Royal Indian Army. The TTP emphasized that any conflict involving their fighters outside this scope would only serve the interests of the military. They instructed their militants to maintain silence on matters related to the Pashtun National Court jirga and the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM).
The TTP claimed that if any relevant issues arise in the future, they would clarify their position at that time. Until then, they urged their fighters and social media activists to focus their efforts on the “oppressive” military, which are the true enemy.
Reiterating their previous declarations, the TTP asserted that their primary targets are the security forces and their affiliates. They conveyed a message to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, stating that they are not the main target and should refrain from unnecessarily involving themselves in this conflict. The TTP insists that police personnel should only be engaged if they impede operations against the military.
The statement also addressed a recent incident in Laki Marwat, where a TTP fighter was brutally killed by a group known as the National Lashkar. The TTP warned this group to remain uninvolved in the ongoing conflict, asserting their intention to keep their struggle focused and undistracted. This shows the Pak military’s role in the proliferation of militancy in the region. These militants are a direct consequence of the military’s past actions, which have come back to haunt them in the form of an empowered insurgency.