QUETTA: Balochistan Home Minister Ziaullah Langau has said that banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) were working together to carry out terrorist activities in Pakistan with India as their “single investor”. He has also announced the arrest of two high-value commanders of banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Nasrullah alias “Maulvi Mansoor” and Idris alias “Irshad”. It marking a crucial step in the region’s ongoing battle against terrorism. After showing Nasrullah’s video statement, the minister said that international community should have no doubt left that there is a global terrorist country, India, behind all this. He said that there is no doubt that RAW is funding BLA and the TTP. He added that Nasrullah was a core committee member of the banned TTP and also a part of its defence commission.
The arrests occurred a day after the federal cabinet approved Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, a reinvigorated national counter-terrorism drive under the National Action Plan’s Central Apex Committee. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that the new initiative would focus on intelligence-based operations (IBOs) rather than a large-scale armed operation. This approach aims to eliminate the remnants of militant networks and address the surge in terrorist attacks that Pakistan has faced in recent months.
The Q1 2024 Security Report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) revealed that the country experienced 432 violence-linked fatalities and 370 injuries in the first four months of the year. These incidents, primarily concentrated in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, accounted for 92% of all fatalities and 86% of attacks. The report underscored the urgent need for effective counter-terrorism measures.
TTP Receives Funds, Support from RAW
Langove highlighted the role of external elements in these attacks, specifically accusing India of providing financial support to militants. He urged misguided youth to reject enemy propaganda and avoid harming their country.
In the video confession from Nasrullah, one of the arrested commanders, revealed that the TTP receives funding and support from the Indian spy agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Nasrullah disclosed that the TTP leadership, including its chief Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, resides in Afghanistan and collaborates closely with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). He detailed how RAW aims to establish a foothold in Balochistan, target Chinese citizens to disrupt the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and carry out kidnappings for ransom to discredit Pakistan’s intelligence agencies. Commenting over the recent development, defence analyst Brigadier (retd) Babar Ala-Ud-Din confirmed these allegations, stating that the TTP and BLA are in regular contact and receive training and logistical support in Afghanistan. He noted that the recent arrests signal that the noose is tightening around these terrorist networks, especially with the launch of Operation Azm-e-Istehkam.
The confessions and arrests mark a significant milestone in Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts, highlighting the ongoing challenges and the need for coordinated national and international action to combat terrorism effectively.
