Pakistani Taliban end ceasefire, order attacks nationwide
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The Taliban in Pakistan have ordered their fighters to carry out attacks all over the country, calling off a ceasefire reached with Pakistan earlier in the year.
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A Pakistani paramilitary soldier, left, and Taliban fighters stand guard on their respective sides, at a border crossing point between Pakistan and Afghanistan, in Torkham, in Khyber district, Pakistan, September 5, 2021 (AP Photo)
The Taliban in Pakistan said Monday they called off the fragile ceasefire in place since June after the group reached a deal with the government in June, directing its fighters to carry out attacks across the country.
Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is a separate entity from the Taliban in Afghanistan that shares a similar ideology with the group. It has claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks that have been ripping through Pakistan since the group's emersion in 2007.
"As military operations are ongoing against mujahideen in different areas ... so it is imperative for you to carry out attacks wherever you can in the entire country," Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan said in a statement.
The group's fighters have been mostly forced out of Pakistan into neighboring Afghanistan. They have been pouring into the country since 2010, though they have seen a bolstering of their status in light of the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan late last year.
The Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in August following an incredibly chaotic withdrawal of US troops and the end of the US occupation of the country.
The TTP had agreed with the Pakistani government on a ceasefire in June. However, both parties have made several claims that the truce was ignored, with numerous clashes taking place.
US President Joe Biden recently demonized Pakistan last month, describing the country as "one of the most dangerous nations in the world." Pakistan summoned the US Ambassador to the country in response to the remarks in question.
Relations between the US and Pakistan have been on the decline since the US pulled out its forces from Afghanistan, especially after the US blamed Pakistan for having aided the Taliban in regaining power, something that former Prime Minister Imran Khan harshly condemned.
After the ceasefire agreement between the Pakistani government and the TTP, then-Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said that his country did not recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan.
A regional and consensual approach is the best way forward to recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan, Ahmad said.
He considered that such an approach holds greater value than a solo decision on the matter.
The political and economic unrest in Pakistan has had a significant negative influence on Afghanistan. In addition, problems like recurrent border closures and ongoing hostilities along Durand Line have restricted trade into Kabul.
Pakistan's political turmoil has started to affect its deteriorating economic state, making the circumstances very difficult and pitiful. Anger and dissatisfaction among the populace are at an all-time high. While people's purchasing power is rapidly declining, inflation is surging.
