Taliban Defense Minister: Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan Is Not a Terrorist Group
Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, the acting Defense Minister of the Taliban administration, stated during a visit to Doha for talks with Pakistani officials that he does not consider Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to be a terrorist organization. His controversial remarks were made during an interview with Al Jazeera.
Rejecting a universally accepted definition of terrorism, he said, “There is no specific and global definition of the word terrorism; every country can label its opponents as terrorists.” These comments come as the Taliban administration has repeatedly been accused of supporting extremist groups.
In recent years, the Taliban has been accused of providing a safe haven and operational grounds for groups such as the TTP, al-Qaeda, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Jamaat Ansarullah of Tajikistan, and the Turkistan Islamic Party—many of which are listed as terrorist organizations by international bodies.
Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan escalated last week, with the Pakistani military conducting airstrikes on areas in Kabul and eastern Afghanistan. In retaliation, Taliban-affiliated forces attacked Pakistani border posts along the Durand Line, resulting in deadly clashes.
After diplomatic efforts by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, both sides reached an agreement last Wednesday to cease hostilities. Commenting on this, Yaqoob Mujahid said, “We do not want war, and problems should be resolved through dialogue.”
However, his remarks regarding TTP have sparked concerns over the Taliban’s apparent double standards toward extremist groups and its broader impact on regional security.
