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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is once again deploying its air force in support of allied countries that share its strong opposition to Turkey’s attempts to extend its military reach in the Eastern Mediterranean and Libya.
The UAE is sending between two and four warplanes to the Greek island of Crete for joint training exercises with the Hellenic Air Force following talks between senior Greek and Emirati military officials.
The UAE’s air force previously participated in military exercises in Greece in 2019, with Emirati pilots flying alongside their Israeli counterparts, among others.
What’s notable about this deployment, however, is its timing. France has also just sent two Dassault Rafale jets to Crete in a show of support to Greece as its dispute with Turkey over gas and oil exploration and drilling rights in the Eastern Mediterranean and the delineation of maritime boundaries escalates.
Turkey recently sent warships to escort a research ship for a drilling survey in waters claimed exclusively by Greece.
On August 14, one of these warships suffered a minor collision with a Hellenic Navy warship that the Greek side said was an accident. On August 22, Turkish air and naval forces carried out exercises in the Aegean Sea that included F-16 jets in a show of force.
Turkey has a significantly larger air force than the UAE, as well as Greece, that consists of over 200 F-16s and 40 F-4 Phantoms. The UAE has over 70 F-16s and about 60 French-built Mirage 2000s. While smaller, the Emirati fleet flies more advanced F-16s than the Turks: the Block 60 one-seater E and two-seater F variants built especially for the UAE air force.
Turkey and the UAE have been locked in an increasingly bitter cold war in recent years.
Turkey’s incumbent ruling party, alongside its close ally Qatar, is a strong supporter and patron of Muslim Brotherhood groups across the region. The UAE and Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, strongly oppose the Brotherhood and support regimes that suppress it, such as President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s regime in Egypt. Both countries also began blockading Qatar in July 2017. Turkey and the UAE have also been on the polar opposite sides of regional proxy conflicts, most notably the one in Libya.
The UAE’s decision to send some fighter jets to demonstrate its support of Greece in its dispute with Turkey is another example of Abu Dhabi’s consistent opposition to Ankara’s regional policies in this multi-front cold war.
UAE allies Egypt and France also strongly oppose Turkey’s policies in the Eastern Mediterranean and support Greece. These policies also include Turkey’s drilling for natural gas in the Republic of Cyprus’ economic exclusion zone (EEZ) and its agreement with Libya’s UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) to create an EEZ that claims huge swathes of the Mediterranean between their two distant coasts.
Today, it’s still highly unlikely Turkey and the UAE jets will clash. Nevertheless, such a possibility cannot be totally dismissed out of hand so long as both rivals continuously find themselves facing each other down in tense flashpoints like the Eastern Mediterranean and volatile conflict zones like Libya.
As many as 19 people died in various rain-related incidents in the port city on Thursday, taking the tally of deaths during the three-day monsoon spell in the city to 30.
While blame games continue as authorities hesitate to take responsibility for the lack of monsoon infrastructure in the country’s largest city, the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) wants all stakeholders to contribute in ameliorating the situation instead of politicising a “pure natural disaster”.
As of yesterday Sindh had seen its worst monsoons in 90years. Today super monsoon torrential rains & floods continue unabated. Please keep all those in your thoughts who have already been working 24/7 to assist citizens during this record breaking unprecedented natural disaster.
Meteorological officials said downpours in August have shattered the 89-year-old record for the city. Some 484mm (19 inches) of rain has fallen this month so far, 130mm on Thursday alone, they said.
According to data released by the Met Office, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Faisal Base recorded 130 millimetres of rain while Nazimabad has recorded 105.6mm since Thursday morning. Mausamiyat received 74.3mm of rain, while Saadi Town recorded 72mm. About 98.5mm of rain was recorded in PAF Masroor Base, Surjani received 73mm while Kemari recorded 82.5mm.
Many major arteries witnessed severe traffic jams. Power was suspended in several areas as a precautionary measure, a K-Electric spokesperson said.
Karachi Commissioner Muhammad Suhail Rajput urged people not to leave their homes during the spell which, according to a Met Office prediction, is expected to continue for another two days.
Videos and photos making rounds on social media showed submerged cars and motorcycles and water entering houses and buildings, wreaking havoc in the provincial capital.
PPP is running Sindh & thus Karachi for the past 12 years; Bilwal needs to focus to understand & resolve Karachi’s problems before saying a single word about any other issue – this is where test of his intelligence & leadership rests; Karachi can make him “National Leader” pic.twitter.com/x17U3hmQM2
Containers that were put for security purpose on MA Jinnah Road #Karachi for upcoming processions going for a swim. Uncontrollable and dangerous for cars, pedestrians already stuck on the roads. pic.twitter.com/zRkkaWpUVt
Scores of social media users, including Federal Minister Ali Zaidi, posted videos and pictures showing Defence Housing Authority flooded with rainwater after heavy showers pounded the city for hours.
“This is DHA KHI,” Zaidi wrote on Twitter, adding, “Bang in front of my house- which is now partly flooded- but many homes in the neighborhood are under 4 feet of water”.
This is DHA Phase 6 Karachi. What is happening in the low lying areas of KHI today is devastating yet once again. Testing times for Karachiites yet again! No doubt Allah tests those he loves the most.#KarachiRain#KarachiSinks#RainEmergencypic.twitter.com/MEBgRxWMCs
“May Allah have mercy on those who live in low lying areas of this city,” he said in another tweet.
“This is DHA Phase 6 Karachi. What is happening in the low-lying areas of KHI today is devastating yet once again. Testing times for Karachiites yet again! No doubt Allah tests those He loves the most,” he said in another tweet.
Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, in a tweet, said that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan is monitoring the situation that has arisen in Karachi due to the torrential rains.
Briefed PM @ImranKhanPTI over Sindh rain situation, Karachi needs special attention. This is unusual and abnormal rain situation which requires emergency response. PM is monitoring the situation and assured to take any action required.
“Briefed PM Imran Khan over Sindh rain situation, Karachi needs special attention. This is an unusual and abnormal rain situation which requires an emergency response. PM is monitoring the situation and assured to take any action required,” tweeted Ismail.
The premier himself has also tweeted over the disastrous situation in the port city.
Have directed Chairman NDMA to immediately not only rescue stranded ppl, but also provide emergency medical assistance, food & shelter to all those in need. I have also asked NDMA Chairman to ensure restoration of utilities on an emergency basis.
In a subsequent tweet, he said that a plan for a permanent solution to the problems facing the people of Karachi will also soon be announced.
RELIEF, RESCUE OPERATION CONTINUES:
In a statement, the military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that many areas were inundated and people stranded due to heavy rains in various parts of Sindh.
An Army Flood Emergency Control Centre has been established in Karachi for assisting flood victims while a medical camp has been set up at the district centre of Gulberg, Liaquatabad and New Karachi for providing necessary medical care, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
It said the dewatering of more than 36 sites in Karachi had been completed while cooked meals covering 10,000 people had been distributed among flood victims in various areas.
The following telephone numbers can be contacted for immediate assistance by the army:
• 021-34491082
• 021-99247267
• 021-99207795
Meanwhile, army engineers completed the enhancement of the bund along M9 near the Northern Bypass to avoid flooding.
Army troops also filled a breach in the Malir River near Quaidabad, according to the ISPR. “Pakistan Army engineer boats are busy shifting people to safer places,” the statement said.
A relief and medical camp has also been established in Latifabad area of Hyderabad. Food was provided to the affected population while army engineers were busy in dewatering various areas, it added.
According to the ISPR, army troops “have been forwardly placed at Dadu for any eventuality and spillover at Nai Gaj Dam”.
The banks of Puran Nullah in tehsil Jhudo of Mirpurkhas district had been damaged due to heavy rains, as a result of which water entered the nearest five villages. However, the breach was plugged with the combined efforts of army troops and civil administration to stop the flow of water to these areas, the ISPR said.
The statement came a day after the army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, directed Karachi crops to step up flood relief operations.
#COAS directed karachi Corps to step up flood relief operations to assist affected people due to recent rains in interior Sindh and #Karachi. “Troops must reach out to affected population in distress and extend all necessary care”, COAS.
Meanwhile, the personnel of Pakistan Rangers Sindh continued the relief and rescue operation in the rain-affected areas of Karachi in a coordinated manner.
According to the Rangers spokesperson, the Rangers constituted separate teams for relief and rescue work to carry out the operation in a faster manner while reserve teams were also present in various areas to deal with any kind of emergency.
Rations were also being distributed in the areas where food supply is low with the help of philanthropists.
Rangers asked the people to contact Rangers helpline 1101, Rangers check post or WhatsApp number 0347-9001111 for immediate assistance regarding rescue or relief.
Pakistan Navy’s rescue and relief operation also continued in various parts of the city during heavy spell of rain.
Pakistan Navy Emergency Response and rescue teams evacuated stranded people to safer places and recovered bodies being washed away in flash flood, a Pakistan Navy press release said.
In assistance to civil administration, Pakistan Navy Emergency Response teams along with boats and requisite life-saving equipment were deployed in different areas of the city, including Diamond City Malir, Shah Faisal Town, Korangi Crossing, Sammo goth and Bahria Town Karachi.
During search and rescue operations, Pakistan Navy divers recovered two dead bodies from Shah Faisal Town and Korangi crossing areas while 55 individuals were evacuated from flooded areas of Malir and Korangi crossing. Besides, Rescue teams have also evacuated 20 families stranded in Sammo Goth and shifted them to safe place.
Pakistan Navy’s helicopter conducted aerial recce of Korangi crossing, Quaidabad (Malir nadi), and Goth Shafi Muhammad while aerial recce with the help of a quadcopter was also carried out in Saddar Town in support of relief operations to localise individuals requiring assistance. Additionally, ration bags and cooked meal was also dropped at various areas.
FLIGHT SCHEDULE DISRUPTED:
Meanwhile, the flight schedule was disrupted at Jinnah International Airport Karachi due to rough weather and heavy rainfall. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced the suspension of a number of its flights on Thursday due to torrential rains in the port city.
A Lahore-bound private airline flight-522 and Islamabad bound PK-368 flight have been delayed, said the CAA spokesperson.
Moreover, Karachi to Faisalabad flight PK-540 and Lahore-bound Pakistan International Airline (PIA) flight PK-304 have also been delayed.
NETWORK OUTAGES AMID POWER BREAKDOWN:
The national telecom regulator informed on Friday that cellular services in the city were not blocked and outages faced by users were due to the prolonged power breakdown.
Speaking to Geo, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) spokesperson Khurram Mehran said, “Due to prolonged power failure in the city, many towers are out of service and their generators are shut because there’s no fuel to power them.”
Mehran said the blockages have nothing to do with Muharram security, as was being speculated in some circles.
The power utility, K-Electric, meanwhile claimed that its teams were working to the best of their ability to deal with the current circumstances and restore electricity with limited available resources.
Many KE vehicles got stuck in flooded roads and streets across the city. Also, our staff is working in long shifts because relievers were unable to make into service centers due to water logging. 2/3
“Many KE vehicles got stuck in flooded roads and streets across the city. Also, our staff is working in long shifts because relievers were unable to make it to service centers due to water logging,” the company said in a statement issued earlier today.
KE therefore warned that restoration work may take longer than expected time as the situation remains ‘difficult’.
HUB DAM FILLS TO MAXIMUM CAPACITY:
The water level in Hub Dam, which supplies water to Karachi and meets the water needs of several areas in Balochistan, crossed the 339-foot mark yesterday and filled to its maximum capacity for the first time in 13 years.
The water level in the dam had risen due to the recent spell of torrential rains in Karachi and Sindh and the dam has now begun to flow out from the spillways into the sea near Mubarak Village.
The WAPDA administration had earlier closed the Hub Dam to visitors in view of health hazards. However, residents of the settlements around the dam, residents of the Hub Dam Residential Colony, Karachi residents and others arrived in large numbers in the spillway area to witness the streams overflowing, which look much like waterfalls.
In the catchment area of Hub Dam, which stretches up to the mountain range of Balochistan, the water level has risen by more than 9 feet in three days.
Zain Malik, the son-in-law of property tycoon Malik Riaz, has been acquitted by an accountability court in six cases pertaining to fake accounts after he pledged to pay Rs9.5 billion in plea bargain, Dawn reported.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) submitted a schedule of payment to the accountability court.
Accountability Court judge Mohammad Bashir took up applications of Mr Malik seeking acquittal in three under-trial cases and approved them.
Zain undertook to mortgage his six properties and pay Rs4 billion in one case, Rs170 million in another and Rs37 million in the third case to NAB, Rawalpindi Directorate, in three years. He will pay the amount in instalments in three months’ interval.
He joined the court’s proceeding through a video link from the UK.
When the judge asked Zain whether he knew consequences of acquittal through the plea bargain, he replied in the affirmative.
The acquittal under the plea bargain did not absolve the accused from the case as the conviction stands despite acquittal.
He is accused in the fake accounts cases of Pink Residency, Illegal Allotment and Mega Money Laundering. He is also an accused in the Icon Tower case of Karachi and has to formally plead in the accountability court in this case for acquittal under the plea bargain.
The Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has borrowed more money in two years than all loans taken by former PM Nawaz Sharif’s governments over 25 years in all three tenures, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Shehbaz Sharif has claimed.
The statement came as senior leaders of the PML-N, at a press conference in Islamabad, took turns to criticise the government’s performance in different areas, while presenting a white paper titled “Destruction of National Power” on the PTI’s two-year rule.
They accused the government of having ruined the country’s economy through its incompetence and pro-elite policies, saying the ruling party had promised a new Pakistan but the people today were yearning for “old Pakistan”.
According to Dawn, the criticism began with PML-N president and opposition leader, Shehbaz Sharif, lashing out at the premier, saying it did not know the basics of governance and did not care about issues facing the masses.
“When we talk about the tabdeeli sarkar [regime of change], we don’t find anything to acknowledge but sadness and pain in the past two years,” he said, adding that inflation caused due to the government’s policies had brought the common man “to the brink of destruction”.
In contrast, he claimed, the PML-N during its tenure under Nawaz’s leadership carried out “historic development” and completed projects at a fast pace that resulted in prosperity.
He said the incumbent government had “ridiculed” the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and levelled allegations against the PML-N. “But not a penny’s worth of corruption could be proven. Their plans backfired,” Shehbaz added.
He said the PTI had failed to prove corruption in any of the projects started by Nawaz despite its “incessant propaganda”.
Today, he said, sugar was being sold at above Rs100 per kilogramme and was being imported, even though previously the government had allowed its exports to benefit certain persons.
He noted that it was the “first time in the country’s 72-year history” that there was a shortage of wheat even though the harvesting season had not yet ended, while a minister was wondering where the millions of tonnes of wheat collected by the government went. “Who is he asking? They should know where it went [and was] smuggled to,” Shehbaz said.
He also said the government had given the public the “biggest shock” by raising petroleum prices even though international prices were very low, and it raised electricity prices to control circular debt but the prices were “touching the sky”, beyond the reach of the common man.
“Enough electricity exists in the country but load-shedding is still ongoing due to this government’s worst incompetence,” the PML-N president alleged.
Shehbaz also said the government had devalued the rupee by 40 per cent but in spite of this, no substantial rise in exports was seen. He further said it was the second time in Pakistan’s history that GDP growth had gone negative, to -0.4pc.
Khawaja Asif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also criticised the government for its “failure” on the foreign policy front and over energy sector losses.
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar, when asked during an interview if he considers himself Wasim Akram or Sher Shah Suri, has said people can see for themselves what he is.
Buzdar was called “Wasim Akram Plus” by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan when he anointed him, and Suri Empire founder “Sher Shah Suri” by his colleague and Punjab Information Minister Fayazul Hasan Chohan amid criticism over “inability to run the province” and “not being the right choice”.
Speaking to Geo, the provincial chief executive of Punjab also said those spreading rumours about his expulsion from the office want to destabilise the province and the country at large.
Dismissing the same, he said he enjoys full trust of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, which some people do not like at all.
When asked why he seems to avoid the media so much, he said that liking for him still existed in the media.
Replying to a question about the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), he said that fixing anybody on political grounds was quite an inappropriate act.
CM Buzdar also said that the government was not bothered by the opposition even if it took to streets.
China has launched an advanced warship for Pakistan, the largest it has built for any country, and the first among the four most sophisticated naval platforms it is readying for the Pakistan Navy amid deepening military and strategic ties.
According to reports, the Type 054A/P, a guided missile frigate, is the largest combat ship China has sold to a foreign navy and is “an important milestone” for China’s military export sector.
The acquisition of the warship will double the combat power of the Pakistani Navy’s surface fleet, Chinese state media reported. By 2021, the Pakistan Navy is expected to have three more similar warships in its fleet.
The Chinese state-owned Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai held the launch ceremony for the advanced warship with top officials and naval officers attending the function.
The shipyard is a wholly owned subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, the largest builders in the country.
The ship launch took place two days after Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi discussed the situation in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir region with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during the second round of the China-Pakistan foreign ministers’ dialogue in Hainan.
The development comes at a time while New Delhi is locked in tension with both Pakistan and China over disputed boundaries and the abrogation of Article 370 in the troubled valley.
India is reportedly closely monitoring the military cooperation between its two neighbours.
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s Adviser on Accountability and Interior Mirza Shahzad Akbar has told a reporter, who attempted to equate the decision to allow former premier Nawaz Sharif to travel abroad with an NRO [National Reconciliation Ordinance], to ask the “Agriculture Department” instead, implying the involvement of a secret agency.
NRO is a controversial ordinance issued by then president Pervez Musharraf in 2007 to grant amnesty to politicians facing corruption, money laundering and murder cases.
Akbar’s response, an open secret in power circles, came during a press conference held Saturday to announce that the federal government had approached the United Kingdom (UK) government for Nawaz’s extradition.
The government in November last year had allowed the former premier to travel abroad for medical treatment after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended his sentence in Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference for eight weeks. He has been residing in London ever since.
“Ask the Agriculture Department,” Akbar said when asked about the former premier’s London departure.
WATCH VIDEO:
Reporter: who gave NRO to Nawaz Sharif & @MaryamNSharif ?
Akbar, however, later clarified that his statement did not refer to any state institution, adding that he had referred to “adept” PML-N leadership that “fooled the entire nation into believing Nawaz’s forged medical reports”.
یہاں یہ واضح کرنا بھی ضروری ہے کہ میرے بیان سے اگر قومی سلامتی کے اداروں کے بارے میں کوئی غلط تاثر پیدا ہوا ہو تو وہ بے بنیاد اور حقیقت سے عاری ہے اور کسی ادارے یا شخص کی دل آزاری پہ میں معذرت خواہ ہوں
Independent observers claim the decision to allow Nawaz to leave the country was a result of a silent agreement reached between the establishment and the PML-N as the alleged deal had come on the heal of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s vow to not give NRO to those facing corruption probes.
‘AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT’:
The term “agriculture department” for secret agencies was coined in 2018 when a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate for Punjab Assembly alleged that he was manhandled by the security personnel of a secret agency over his refusal to withdraw from the upcoming elections.
In a statement to media, Rana Iqbal Siraj had said the personnel raided his godown and threatened to destroy his business in case of non-compliance.
However, Siraj had later backtracked his statement, saying it was the officials of the agriculture department who raided his godown and not the security personnel.
Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief Mustafa Kamal has claimed that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is trying to occupy Karachi, warning that if it did so, the people would take the Sindh government away from it as well.
Addressing a protest amid heavy rain a day after the Sindh cabinet approved the creation of a seventh district in the city, Kamal said neither the “Sindh card” nor the “Muhajir card” would work anymore.
“We will never allow our motherland, Sindh, to be divided and nor will we let anyone rip its heart, Karachi,” he stated.
“The PPP is fanning ethnic hatred in the province, but we will thwart every conspiracy hatched by it or the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) to create rifts between Sindhis and Muhajirs for their own political gains.”
Kamal claimed that the PPP-led provincial government always made decisions on ethnic grounds, pointing to changes in National Assembly seats in the city following the census.
‘65% FUNDS USED IN OTHER PROVINCES GENERATED IN KARACHI’:
Separately, The Express Tribune has quoted Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar as claiming that approximately 65 per cent of developmental funds used in other provinces are generated in Karachi but the port city remains neglected.
Inaugurating a library and art gallery at Markaz-e-Islami in Aisha Manzil, he said that people of Karachi paid Rs1,100 to Rs1,200 in taxes, but received nothing in return.
Akhtar maintained that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had spent all the funds at its disposal to facilitate the people. “We tried our best to carry out uplift works despite having limited resources.”
Dedicated cargo scanner machines have been installed at Torkham Border Terminals by the National Logistics Cell (NLC) to scan the import and export cargo vehicles between the crossing point of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
All vehicles of Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) will go through scanning. The practice of scanning is being carried out by the NLC round the clock to facilitate Customs in the timely clearance of import and export vehicles.
The scanning at Torkham has resulted in the seizure of foreign currency worth millions of rupees and a huge quantity of arms and ammunition, gold, narcotics, and smuggled electronic gadgets that were handed to the officials of concerned government departments at the spot.
To control the movement of contraband and illegal items, cargo scanning is considered as the most effective tool.
In a major security hazard, two splinter groups of the defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have rejoined the terrorist outfit, with their leaders and Shura members swearing allegiance to TTP chief Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud in Afghanistan.
Multiple sources have confirmed the rejoining of TTP’s splinter groups – Jamat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) and Hizb-ul-Ahrar (HuA) – both groups known for carrying out deadly terrorist attacks against the Pakistani military, state apparatus, and individuals. A source claimed that Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, another defunct terrorist group, has also rejoined the TTP but the report is yet to be confirmed.
It was none other than the former TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan, who recently managed to escape from a military safe house, that made the claim on Twitter, a social media platform. Later, TTP’s Umar Media officially announced the merger, claiming that JuA chief Umar Khalid Khurasani and HuA’s Ameer Umar Khurasani had met with TTP chief and swore allegiance.
“We also send a message to our enemy that our sacred jihad would continue till Pakistan is cleansed of evil system and oppressed are free from the shackles of the oppressor,” the message read.
Social media is now rife with videos and photographs of the allegiance ceremony held somewhere in Afghanistan. Experts, however, are of the opinion that such known terrorists cannot gather openly for a ceremony without the support and facilitation of the Afghan intelligence.
Later, several reliable sources and social media accounts also shared details of the merger.
Sources have revealed that the sole objective of the merger is to launch terrorist activity against Pakistan while simultaneously sabotaging efforts to restore peace and stability in its war-ravaged neighbor, Afghanistan.
However, the merger appears to have been in the making for several months. According to sources, representatives from TTP, JuA, and HuA have met several times in different locations inside Afghanistan to discuss their reunification.
The effort even ended up in deadlock at one point recently, sources revealed. On August 13, talks had all but stalled, they said. Talks resumed three days later, but only after direct intervention by operatives from Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) and India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the sources added.
The talks culminated in an oath of allegiance to bring the three militant factions together, which was held in Afghanistan’s Paktia and Kunar provinces, the sources said. The agreement, reportedly, designates Mufti Noor Wali as the “Amir” of TTP, making him responsible for all planned terrorist activities inside Pakistan.
Meanwhile, JuA’s Ikram Turabi, who was bailed out from Peshawar Central Jail earlier this year, also arrived in Afghanistan and has been appointed as the head of the Amari Shura.
Under the terms of the merger, all terrorist attacks would be sanctioned and approved by TTP’s Markazi and Rahbari Shuras. More alarmingly, their prime target will be Pakistan’s military, paramilitary, and law enforcement.
But physical attacks seem to be only one aspect of the newly merged terrorist outfit, the sources said. According to them, an intercepted voice message sent by TTP leader Maulvi Rafiuddin to TTP commander Abu Hamza revealed that the group plans to create a false impression that the merger took place in Pakistan to malign the country’s reputation and discredit its anti-terror gains.
Not only is Rafiuddin based in Afghanistan’s Logar province, but he has also been known for coordinating meetings between TTP leaders and Afghan law enforcement agencies, the sources further said.
There are still a few sticking points between the three militant groups despite the merger. According to sources, there is a stalemate between the terrorist factions over income from certain nephrite and marble mines in Mohmand. The JuA also wants TTP’s assistance in securing the release of JuA commander Ezatullah, who is currently in Afghan Taliban custody.
Islamabad has long accused Kabul of turning a blind eye toward TTP and other terrorists that fled to Afghanistan to escape counter-terrorist operations in Pakistan. Pakistan’s concerns were supported in a recent report presented to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that revealed massive TTP presence inside Afghanistan.
“A large terrorist group present in Afghanistan, Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan, is led by Amir Noor Wali Mehsud, supported by his deputy Qari Amjad and TTP spokesperson Mohammad Khorasani,” the 26th report of the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team read. “Many former TTP members have already joined ISIL-K and Member States expect that the group and its various splinter groups will align themselves with ISIL-K. The total number of Pakistani foreign terrorist fighters in Afghanistan, posing a threat to both countries, is estimated at between 6,000 and 6,500, most of them with TTP,” it concluded.
