Latest news with #PakistaniTaliban
Arab News
6 hours ago
- General
- Arab News
Militants free two customs officials months after abduction in Pakistan's northwest
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Taliban militants have freed two customs officials months after they were abducted in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, police and local officials said on Sunday. Pakistan Customs Superintendent Nisar Abbasi, Inspector Khushal Khan and Saif-ur-Rehman, president of a local chambers of commerce, were abducted in KP's South Waziristan district in Feb. this year, according to Deputy Commissioner Nasir Khan. While the kidnappers released Rehman the same day, the two customs officials remained in captivity and it took months of efforts by tribal elders and members of the Lower South Waziristan Chambers of Commerce to negotiate their release. 'The officers have returned safely after their captors let them go,' Habib Islam, a police spokesperson in South Waziristan district that borders Afghanistan, told Arab News. 'Their release was made possible through extensive negotiations involving multiple stakeholders.' The development highlights persistent security challenges in Pakistan's northwestern tribal districts where militant groups, particularly the Pakistani Taliban, have mounted their attacks against security forces, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials. It also comes amid a thaw in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations which were strained by a surge in militancy in Pakistan's western regions that border Afghanistan. Islamabad frequently blamed Afghanistan for the surge in militant activities, an allegation denied by Kabul. However, both countries have sought to mend ties in recent months and last week announced to upgrade their diplomatic missions in Islamabad and Kabul to the ambassadorial rank. Rehman, president of the Lower South Waziristan Chambers of Commerce and Industry who was released shortly after his kidnapping along with the two customs officials, said the kidnappers had initially demanded the government free their detained associates in return for the release of the two customs officials. 'When it became clear that the government would not meet their demands even after several months, the abductors eventually relented to tribal mediation and agreed to release the officials,' he told Arab News, adding that both officials were in good health and no ransom was paid against their release. On Jan. 9, the Pakistani Taliban kidnapped more than a dozen workers of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), which is responsible for nuclear energy projects, from the volatile Lakki Marwat district, according to Lakki Marwat police. Eight of the abductees were released shortly after the kidnapping, while the militants released one more and body of another hostage on Jan. 25. The fate of the remaining captives remains unknown. Last year, the militant group had kidnapped District and Sessions Judge Shakirullah Marwat near KP's Dera Ismail Khan district who was later recovered in a joint operation by police and security forces, officials said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Pakistan announces it will send an ambassador to Afghanistan to upgrade diplomatic ties
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan announced Friday that it is upgrading its diplomatic representation in neighboring Afghanistan from chargé d'affaires to the level of ambassador, a move aimed at improving bilateral relations between the two neighbors. The announcement by the Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, comes a week after he met his Afghan counterpart, Amir Khan Muttaqi, alongside China's top diplomat during a trilateral meeting in Beijing. Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban government have embassies in each other's capitals but they are led by chargés d'affaires. Like the international community, Pakistan has not recognized the Afghan Taliban government. There was no immediate comment from Kabul. However, Pakistan had earlier signaled that the two sides were considering an upgrade in diplomatic ties. In a statement, Dar said relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have taken a positive turn since his visit to Kabul in April. 'To maintain this momentum, I am pleased to announce the decision of the Government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its chargé d'affaires in Kabul to the level of ambassador,' he said. Dar expressed hope that the decision would strengthen economic cooperation, boost bilateral trade and enhance joint efforts to combat terrorism. Tensions between the two countries have long been strained over Pakistan's accusations that Kabul provides safe haven to Pakistani Taliban, who are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP and are allies of the Afghan Taliban. TTP is a separate group and has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Pakistan announces it will send an ambassador to Afghanistan to upgrade diplomatic ties
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan announced Friday that it is upgrading its diplomatic representation in neighboring Afghanistan from chargé d'affaires to the level of ambassador, a move aimed at improving bilateral relations between the two neighbors. The announcement by the Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, comes a week after he met his Afghan counterpart, Amir Khan Muttaqi, alongside China's top diplomat during a trilateral meeting in Beijing. Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban government have embassies in each other's capitals but they are led by chargés d'affaires. Like the international community, Pakistan has not recognized the Afghan Taliban government. There was no immediate comment from Kabul. However, Pakistan had earlier signaled that the two sides were considering an upgrade in diplomatic ties. In a statement, Dar said relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have taken a positive turn since his visit to Kabul in April. 'To maintain this momentum, I am pleased to announce the decision of the Government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its chargé d'affaires in Kabul to the level of ambassador,' he said. Dar expressed hope that the decision would strengthen economic cooperation, boost bilateral trade and enhance joint efforts to combat terrorism. Tensions between the two countries have long been strained over Pakistan's accusations that Kabul provides safe haven to Pakistani Taliban, who are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP and are allies of the Afghan Taliban. TTP is a separate group and has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
4 days ago
- Politics
2 police officers, 4 Pakistani Taliban killed in a rare raid in Pakistan-held Kashmir
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan -- Security forces acting on intelligence raided a militant hideout in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, triggering a shootout that left two police officers and four Pakistani Taliban fighters dead, police said Thursday. The overnight raid was carried out in the Rawalakot district, according to Abdul Jabbar, the police chief in Kashmir, which is split between Pakistan and India and claimed in full by both countries in its entirety. Jabbar said the killed militants were members of the Pakistani Taliban, who are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP and are allies of the Afghan Taliban. He alleged the TTP is acting as a proxy for India and said police thwarted an attempt by the insurgents to create a base for future attacks. There was no immediate response from New Delhi. In a separate shootout with insurgents, four soldiers and five Pakistani Taliban were killed in the northwestern North Waziristan district, the military said in a statement Thursday night. While Pakistani security forces frequently target TTP hideouts in the restive northwest and elsewhere, such operations in Kashmir are rare. TTP is a separate group and has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
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First Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Pakistani Taliban-police encounter in PoK: 2 security officers, 4 terrorists killed
Operations against TTP hideouts are frequently conducted by Pakistani security forces in the country's restive northwest and elsewhere; however, similar actions in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir remain uncommon read more In this August 5, 2012, file photo, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) patrol in their stronghold of Shawal in Pakistani tribal region of South Waziristan. (Photo :AP) Security forces acting on intelligence raided a militant hideout in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, triggering a shootout that left two police officers and four Pakistani Taliban fighters dead, police said Thursday (May 29). The rare overnight raid was carried out in Rawalakot district, according to Abdul Jabbar, the police chief of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The region is divided between Pakistan and India and claimed in its entirety by both countries. Jabbar said the militants killed were members of the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, allies of the Afghan Taliban. He alleged the TTP is acting as a proxy for India, and said the police had thwarted an attempt by the insurgents to establish a base for future attacks. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD There was no immediate response from New Delhi. Operations against TTP hideouts are frequently conducted by Pakistani security forces in the country's restive northwest and elsewhere; however, similar actions in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir remain uncommon. The TTP is a distinct militant group that has become increasingly bold since the Afghan Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021. Since then, many TTP leaders and fighters have reportedly found refuge in Afghanistan. Pakistan-Taliban relations Pakistan's relationship with the Taliban is complicated, marked by periods of strategic cooperation as well as significant tension and conflict. Initially, Pakistan supported the Taliban in Afghanistan during the 1990s as part of its regional strategy, aiming to establish influence in Kabul and secure strategic depth against India. Pakistan's intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was instrumental in supporting Taliban factions against rival Afghan groups during the Afghan civil war following the Soviet withdrawal. However, Pakistan's relationship with the TTP is very different now, and marked by hostility. Formed in 2007, the TTP emerged as a militant group opposing the Pakistani government, aiming to implement its strict interpretation of Islamic law and challenging state authority. TTP has orchestrated numerous deadly attacks across Pakistan, including assaults on military installations, civilian targets, and educational institutions. Pakistan has conducted several major military operations against TTP strongholds, particularly in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), significantly weakening but never completely dismantling the group. The Afghan Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021 further complicated things. While Islamabad initially welcomed the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, hoping it would stabilise the region, the opposite happened: the TTP has been emboldened, finding safe havens and renewed support networks across the Afghan border. This development has intensified Pakistan's domestic security challenges. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan now finds itself urging Taliban to curb TTP activities, and carrying out domestic military operations against resurgent TTP fighters. With inputs from agencies
