Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Asif Ali Khan Durrani has said that Islamabad firmly welcomes relocating TTP members to northern Afghanistan, aimed at stabilizing Pakistan’s border regions.
In an interview with the Voice of America, Mr. Durani said that it is still too early to draw conclusions on the implementation of the plan to relocate the Pakistani Taliban to remote parts of Afghanistan.
Mr. Durani backed the process of transferring TTP members by Afghanistan’s de facto authorities, as the plan prompted serious concerns and widespread criticism among the Afghan people and the politicians of the former government.
Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan affairs further added if relocating TTP members truly takes place and results in peace and stability along the Durand Line, Islamabad will consider it a significant development.
Meanwhile, Afghan Taliban decided to reassure Islamabad that TTP is not engaging in operations against the Pakistani government. The TTP militants now stationed alongside the Durand will be redeployed to Northern Afghanistan.
Experts, politicians and journalists have discussed different aspects of the latest move by Afghan Taliban authorities, and termed it the “Waziristanization of northern Afghanistan”.
Some anti-Taliban groups have described the movement of TTP members to northern parts of Afghanistan as extremely dangerous, which can possibly lead to a civil war and even partition of the country.
