NEW YORK: A new United Nations’ (UN) report has acknowledged the action taken by the Pakistani government against individuals engaged in terrorist activities, saying terror group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was responsible for over 100 ‘cross-border’ attacks within three months last year.
On its part, Pakistan has consistently highlighted the terrorism threat from the TTP.
The report points to the arrests in Pakistan of “individuals engaging in terrorism financing and the freezing of the assets of designated individuals and entities”.
The diplomats noted that the UN acknowledgment of Pakistan actions comes at a time when India continues to blame Pakistan for inaction against the designated groups.
Reporting on the activities of the TTP, the UN report saw the ‘reunification of splinter groups [of TTP] that took place in Afghanistan’.
The report records that ‘five entities pledged alliance to TTP in July and August last year, including the Shehryar Mehsud group, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), Hizb-ul-Ahrar, the Amjad Farooqi group and the Usman Saifullah group (formerly known as Lashkar-e- Jhangvi)’.
The report cautions that the merger of TTP has enhanced the threat of terrorism to Pakistan and the region, as it has ‘increased the strength of TTP and resulted in a sharp increase in attacks’.
In this regard, the UN reported ‘TTP was responsible for more than 100 cross-border attacks between July and October last year’.
The report said that, based on estimates, the TTP’s fighting strength ranges between 2,500 and 6,000.
Last year, Pakistan handed over a dossier to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the Indian sponsorship of TTP and JuA. Both terrorist groups were designated by the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the Security Council.
