Pakistan wants to export the TTP problem to northern Afghanistan.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said the Taliban should either hand over members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to Islamabad or transfer them to northern Afghanistan.
The comments come as evidence suggests the Taliban have included hundreds of TTP members and supporters in their government structure.
Now, Pakistani pressure has increased the likelihood of these fighters being transferred to northern Afghanistan.
The transfer of TTP fighters could turn the north of the country into a new “North Waziristan”; A region whose relative calm has always been noteworthy over the past two decades.
Such a move would not only undermine Afghanistan’s internal security, but could also spread to the borders of Central Asia.
The proximity of northern Afghanistan to Central Asian countries has raised concerns that new militant bases could become a threat beyond Afghanistan’s borders.
At the same time, the secret cooperation between the Taliban and Islamabad has raised new questions: Is northern Afghanistan deliberately becoming a battlefield of war and instability, and could this process challenge regional security?
Pakistan seems to be trying to shift its security problem to Afghanistan and perhaps beyond, to Central Asia; This could have dangerous consequences for the stability of the region.
