KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban on Thursday denied Pakistan’s claim that they requested 10 billion Pakistani rupees ($35 million) to relocate members of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
In a chat with Amu TV, Taliban deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat described the remarks by Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif as “baseless,” adding that the Taliban had “neither discussed nor reached any agreement on this matter with Pakistani officials.”
The denial comes amid longstanding tensions between the two sides regarding the TTP’s presence in Afghanistan. While the Taliban officially deny harboring TTP fighters, a United Nations monitoring group report estimates that the group has approximately 6,000 fighters based in Afghanistan.
Khawaja Asif recently told Geo News that the alleged request for funds dates back a year or two, during his visit to Kabul. He claimed the proposal was raised during a high-level meeting involving senior Taliban officials, including Defense Minister Mullah Yaqoob, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, and Deputy Defense Minister Mullah Shirin Akhund.
“They said they would resettle the TTP in one of their western provinces, but they asked for 10 billion rupees for this,” Asif said. “I told them, ‘If you don’t stop them, we’ll have to take action ourselves, and then you shouldn’t complain.’”
According to Asif, he sought guarantees from the Taliban that the TTP threat would be neutralized if the funds were provided, but received no clear assurances. “I personally witnessed their demand for 10 billion rupees,” he said. “When I asked for guarantees that the TTP would not return and create problems again, they had no response.”
The allegations have drawn sharp criticism from Afghan observers. Sediq Sediqi, a former spokesperson for Afghanistan’s presidency, accused both Pakistan and the Taliban of perpetuating global terrorism.
“Selling terror through their terror marketplace: Pakistan and the Taliban must be held accountable for global terrorism,” Sediqi said.
Freelance journalist Sami Yousafzai highlighted the historical ties between the Taliban and the TTP. “The Taliban share ideological, religious, and historical connections with the TTP,” Yousafzai said. “The TTP played a significant role in the Taliban’s fight against NATO, offering safe havens and resources. These close and friendly relations continue to this day.”
The dispute over the TTP has exacerbated tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban. On December 24, Pakistan’s military conducted airstrikes in Barmal district of Afghanistan’s Paktika province, claiming to target TTP fighters.
However, both the United Nations and the Taliban reported that the strikes resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children. The Taliban condemned the attack, stating that all those killed or injured were noncombatants.
