Pakistani Taliban getting support from Kabul, says UN report

A report from the United Nations (UN) indicates that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), commonly referred to as the Pakistani Taliban, continues to receive both financial and logistical assistance from Kabul.

The 35th report from the UN’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, dated February 6, has been presented to the UN Security Council in response to Pakistan’s ongoing requests for Afghanistan to take action against the militant organization.

This panel of experts, established by the UN Security Council to aid in the enforcement of sanctions against individuals and entities associated with militant groups, produces biannual reports that evaluate the threat landscape to inform global policy and security measures.

The report, which spans the period from July 1, 2024, to December 13, 2024, noted that the “status and strength of TTP in Afghanistan had not changed.” Pakistani authorities have previously estimated that the TTP comprises approximately 10,000 fighters.

However, it was highlighted that the ambition and scale of TTP’s operations against Pakistan had markedly escalated, with over 600 attacks recorded during the reporting period, including those originating from Afghan territory.

The report further stated that the Taliban continued to offer the TTP logistical and operational support, as well as financial assistance, with one Member State reporting that the family of TTP leader Noor Wali Masoud received a monthly stipend of 3 million Afghanis (approximately $43,000).

Additionally, the report noted an increase in collaboration among the TTP, the Afghan Taliban, and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, who have been conducting operations under the name Tehrik-e Jihad Pakistan.

The enhanced cooperation among these groups, particularly in the areas of providing suicide bombers, fighters, and ideological support, could potentially elevate the TTP into an extra-regional threat and position it as an umbrella organization for various terrorist factions operating within the region.