ISLAMABAD — The Taliban have begun relocating the families of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants from border regions to other parts of Afghanistan, according to a senior Pakistani official cited by The Express Tribune.
The move comes in response to repeated requests from the Pakistani government and follows a recent visit by Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s interior minister, and Abdul Haq Wasiq, the head of the Taliban’s intelligence agency, to the United Arab Emirates.
While neither the Taliban nor Pakistani officials have publicly commented on whether the visit was related to discussions about the TTP, the Pakistani official confirmed that both the UAE and Qatar have played a role in facilitating negotiations on the issue.
“The UAE is believed to have pressured the Kabul administration [the Taliban] to address Pakistan’s concerns regarding terrorist hideouts [of the TTP],” the report said.
A Pakistani delegation had also traveled to the UAE prior to Haqqani and Wasiq’s visit as part of ongoing efforts to resolve the TTP issue, according to The Express Tribune.
The Pakistani official noted that the relocation of TTP families from border areas had been planned for some time but had progressed slowly.
Estimates suggest that between 6,000 and 8,000 TTP fighters are currently present in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, with many carrying out cross-border attacks against Pakistan. In addition, as many as 20,000 family members of TTP fighters have taken refuge in southeastern and eastern Afghanistan, the report said.
Despite these efforts, Pakistani officials remain skeptical. Islamabad has long been wary of the Taliban’s reluctance to provide firm assurances that the TTP will no longer pose a threat to Pakistan.
Previous reports have pointed to divisions within the Taliban leadership over how to handle the TTP. While some Taliban officials believe they should address Pakistan’s concerns, others within the group’s leadership remain sympathetic to the TTP.
