ISLAMABAD: A proscribed militant network, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), on Friday responded to recent security alerts issued by state agencies about its plans to launch attacks during Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, saying that targeting public places was neither permissible nor aligned with its objectives.

The TTP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for some of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan since its formation in 2007, including the massacre of 134 children in a school attack.

Pakistan has accused the interim Taliban administration in Kabul of providing sanctuary to TTP leaders and facilitating their attacks. Although the two groups are not directly affiliated, the Pakistani Taliban owe allegiance to their Afghan counterparts.

Pakistan has historically experienced sectarian violence during Muharram, a significant month for Shia Muslims who observe mourning rituals to commemorate the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) grandson in the Battle of Karbala.

“We consider it necessary to clarify that not only during Muharram but at any time, we do not consider it permissible to attack public places nor is it among our goals,” TTP Spokesperson Mohammad Khorasani said in a statement on Friday.

“Such fake threats and statements attributed to us have nothing to do with us,” he added, referring to the security alerts circulated by Pakistani law enforcement agencies.

Khorasani blamed the state for spreading fear among people by saying the TTP wanted to launch attack in Muharram.

“Our objectives are clear and pre-announced, which do not include targeting any group, sect or individual based on religious and intellectual differences,” he added.

Since 2007, Pakistan has conducted multiple military operations against the TTP, yet the militant network continues its attacks, primarily targeting the two western provinces bordering Afghanistan.

These attacks have surged since November 2022, following the collapse of a fragile truce brokered by the Afghan Taliban between Islamabad and the TTP.

PESHAWAR: Pakistani Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions, Amir Muqam, discussed bilateral ties with Afghan’s Charge d’Affaires, Sardar Ahmed Khan Shakib, on Friday, saying that his country “deeply valued” its cooperation with Afghanistan in addressing the issue of refugees.

Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have soured in recent months amid a surge in militant attacks that Pakistan blames on Afghanistan, saying its Taliban rulers were not doing enough to tackle militant groups using its territory to target Pakistan, which they deny.

The Pakistani Taliban have stepped up attacks against Pakistan security forces in recent months, with daily assaults on army and paramilitary posts and targeted killings of police and government officials.

“Pakistan deeply values its longstanding friendship and cooperation with Afghanistan,” Muqam was quoted as saying in a statement released by his office after his meeting with Shakib in Islamabad.

The Pakistani minister said the people of the two countries had made immense sacrifices, adding that restoring peace was essential for their well-being.

“We encourage Afghanistan to focus on ensuring the welfare and integration of its citizens residing in Pakistan, with an emphasis on their return as a long-term solution,” he said.

The Afghan diplomat thanked Pakistan for extending the deadline of UNHCR-issued Proof of Registration (PoR) cards for almost 1.5 million Afghan refugees for one year.

Islamabad launched a deportation drive last year against illegal foreigners residing in the country after a spate of suicide bombings which the Pakistan government, without providing evidence, said were carried out by Afghan nationals. Islamabad has also blamed them for smuggling, militant violence and other crimes.

A cash-strapped Pakistan navigating record inflation, alongside a tough International Monetary Fund bailout program last year, had also said undocumented migrants had drained its resources for decades.

Until the government initiated the expulsion drive last year, Pakistan was home to over four million Afghan migrants and refugees out of which around 1.7 million were undocumented, as per government figures.

Afghans make up the largest portion of migrants, many of whom came after the Taliban took over Kabul in 2021, but a large number have been present since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Islamabad insists the deportation drive is not aimed specifically at Afghans but at all those living illegally in Pakistan.

In October 2023, Pakistan announced phase one of the “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan” with a 30-day deadline for “undocumented” aliens to leave the country or be subject to deportation, putting 1.4 million Afghan refugees at risk. Over 600,000 Afghans have been expelled under this phase.

In phase two, Afghans holding Pakistan-issued Afghan citizenship cards (ACCs) will be expelled while phase three is expected to target those with UNHCR-issued PoR cards.