Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the ongoing terrorist activities of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operating from Afghanistan, calling them intolerable and a red line. In a federal cabinet meeting, Shehbaz urged the Taliban regime to take immediate action against the group, emphasizing that TTP attacks on innocent people in Pakistan could no longer be tolerated. He reiterated Pakistan’s desire for friendly relations with Afghanistan, particularly in trade and economic matters, but stressed that a strategy allowing the TTP to operate from Afghan soil was unacceptable.
This call for action came after a recent Pakistani military airstrike in Afghanistan’s Paktika province on December 24. The strike, aimed at TTP bases, resulted in 46 deaths, including women and children, and six injuries. Pakistan claimed the strike hit TTP militants, destroying several of their bases, while the Taliban’s Ministry of Defence contested the claim, stating that refugees were also affected. This escalation has heightened tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with the Taliban warning of retaliation.
