TTP accuses govt of stepping up attacks in tribal areas

E-Paper | July 31, 2026

MIRAMSHAH: The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has accused the government of increasing attacks on militant hideouts and raids on houses of its members in tribal areas.

Despite a ceasefire announced by it earlier this month, its members in the custody of law enforcement agencies are not only being tortured but tortured with greater intensity, the TTP has said.

TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid told media personnel by phone on Saturday that instead of reciprocating his group’s goodwill gesture with a befitting move the authorities had intensified activities against the militants.

He said the government did not seem to be sincere towards dialogue with the TTP.

After the announcement of a ceasefire by the Taliban shura, the government should have refrained from shelling or raiding the militants’ hideouts. But, he added, shelling of the militants’ hideouts as well as their houses had registered a sharp increase over the past few days.

Incidents involving torture of TTP members in all jails of the country, particularly in Karachi, were also increasing, he said. Some of the TTP members had been moved to prisons in Sukkur and Hyderabad after being tortured.

It seemed that the government wanted the militants to resume carrying out attacks across the country, the TTP spokesman added.

Pakistan

Dancing to TTP’s tunes

TTP frustrated at ‘defiance’ over ceasefire

Naveed Akhtar

Mar 23, 2014 10:15am

These barbarians and beasts must be bombed only. No negotiations with them will ever be in favor of Pakistan. We have seen what happened as a result of negotiating with them. They are foreign funded and have the objective to destroy Pakistan. Must be dealt with iron hands as they have killed our countrymen.

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Naseer

Mar 23, 2014 10:30am

Look who is talking.

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Sajjad Ali Gopang

Mar 23, 2014 10:40am

Now TTP want to negotiate because Pak Army and ISI have not left any space for them. You (TTP) have not ceasefire because of negotiation but there is another thing which has causes you to Ceasefire.

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Khangul

Mar 23, 2014 11:30am

The question is haunting every law-abiding Pakistani that under which article of the Constitution, the Government of Pakistan can talk to the group it has outlawed?

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Nauman

Mar 23, 2014 11:59am

So we are not allowed to clean our part of territory?

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Shahid Ali

Mar 23, 2014 12:01pm

Yes, these barbarians must be handled with Iron fist. Their faces are like murderers and no sign of mercy and decency. They are paid by some foregners who are enemy of Pakistan.

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Ayan Waqar

Mar 23, 2014 12:03pm

A request to Dawn Team, Please do not publish their photo, they are bunch of criminal their bearded photo is insult of Islam and millions of bearded Muslims (Sunni / Shia) across the globe.

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saleem

Mar 23, 2014 12:42pm

Please give peace a chance. And negotiate with ttp with sincerely'For the interest of Pakistan

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Masoud

Mar 23, 2014 12:49pm

Although there should not be any let-up in counter attacks however the govt should respect the peace negotiation with TTP. As long as they don't break rules the gov't should also be careful in maintaining the peaceful atmosphere conducive for peaceful negotiations.

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Pakistani

Mar 23, 2014 01:57pm

not a good sign for the peace talks. government agency should stop such activities without the government approval. and gov accepted to go for peace talks it's our duty to protect the interests of the state which is not to do anything which will harm peace talks efforts of government.When TTP does the same we accuse them but why not we accuse when our forces does the same.

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Mar 23, 2014 04:38pm

@saleem: If someone from your family would have been killed by these killers.. Were you going to have a same suggestion then?

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Shaikh Mohommd

Mar 23, 2014 04:41pm

Peace talks cannot take place unless the Government of Pakistan puts a ban on Military operations of any nature and orders Pakistan Army to return to the barracks. At the moment Pakistan Army is everywhere in those areas and conducting its own operations regardless of the Government policies. Peace negotiations will be successful only if the Army is in the barracks. This is important.

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Mr Xyz

Mar 23, 2014 04:54pm

@Pakistani: the question is how these barbarians know that their partners are being tortured ???? secondly what about the attacks on Pakistanis; just by saying that these attacks are being done by another faction clears their name ???? if they are so sincere with the talks they should tell the govt about hide outs of Ahrar-ul-Hind. Govt is liable to hunt down the criminals causing the disturbance.

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unbelievable

Mar 23, 2014 05:10pm

It amazes me how many comments indicate TTP are foreign funded - classic Pakistan conspiracy theory taking any Pakistan problem and placing it on the doorstep of the boogeyman. Here's a "heads up" - the TTP is a Pakistani issue - a great example of failed "strategic asset" policy. Further - like it or not the TTP are supported by a considerable portion of the Pakistan society including your religious parties and madrassa infrastructure.

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Fiz

Mar 23, 2014 06:08pm

Still playing the blame game to find an excuse to leash their barbarianism. They can't control their itch to quench their thirst of killing.

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usman civil 01-08-2013

Mar 23, 2014 06:23pm

@Ayan Waqar: Bravo

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Pakistani

Mar 23, 2014 07:28pm

@Ayan Waqar: YOu are apparently as extremist as you are blaming Talibans by your such statement.

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Asad Abbasi

Mar 23, 2014 07:35pm

Please keep going and destroy these snakes. These terrorists deserve no mercy. I want my country back.

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Mustafa

Mar 23, 2014 07:42pm

The Taliban do not deserve peace in return for their deeds. If Pervez Musharraf was Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Taliban would have vanished. Nawaz Sharif has no guts to take the bull by the horn. We have to wait for Nawaz Sharif days over and brave people take control of government, Insha Allah.

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rashid

Mar 23, 2014 07:47pm

@Masoud: how about this,let say we are only targeting those people who are not under TTP's umbrella &they recently attacked us?

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Agha Ata

Mar 23, 2014 08:17pm

So, here comes the end of the dialogue. How easy it was to see it coming. It was the deja vu of the deja vu of the deja vu!

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sja

Mar 23, 2014 08:56pm

What a pity and anti -romantic""accuses govt of stepping up attacks in tribal areas"""" so look who is saying or pleading for MERCY, those merciless who bring havoc on innocent women, men, children in the name of whatever all over the globe, irrespective of who they transport to life hereinafter, and they ask for mercy -------FOR THEMSELVES.

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Mohammed A. Sukhera

Mar 23, 2014 09:19pm

The first item on the agenda for the Pakistani Government should be to ask the Taliban to release all kidnapped individuals in their custody. One of the kidnapped people is a 72 years old elderly American consultant named Warren Weinstein who was kidnapped in Lahore more than two years ago from his residence during the month of Ramadan. Weinstein is the director for J.E. Austin Associates, a U.S.-based firm that advises Pakistani businesses and government sectors for development of Pakistan under USAID program. After his abduction no foreigner experts are willing to even visit Pakistan.We must do everything in our power to restore the confidence of the international community that Pakistani government cares about foreign advisors who were the guests of our country. The State failed to protect these individuals during their stay in Pakistan. His release should be on the top of the list of our negotiating team before we discuss other matters.

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pathanoo

Mar 23, 2014 10:01pm

How do you negotiate with a snake? And to what end? Will the snake give up his poison or stop biting? These terrorists have made clear that they ONLY exist to impose their kind of sectarianism and fanaticism which if you don't accept; they will kill you. How many of you think that the terrorists will accept girls' right to education, their rights to equality, democracy, allow Ahmadis and Shias to worship peacefully and claim themselves to be Muslims? how many of you think that they will give up arms and participate in the democratic process? ANSWER IS A BIG FAT "NO" TO ALL OF THE ABOVE. SO WHAT ARE YOU NEGOTIATING FOR OR ABOUT?

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Patriot

Mar 23, 2014 11:06pm

Law enforcement agencies have duty to eradicate criminals, It is unfortunate to negotiate with them

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Agha Ata

Mar 23, 2014 11:06pm

TTP, don't you worry. Everything is going exactly as you planned. Killing innocents, meetings, then more meetings, formation of committees, then more committees, expecting dialogue to take place, and then BINGO. It starts all over again. Killing innocents, meetings, then more meetings, formation of a new committee ..... and the whole series of what went before, punctuated by dialogue expectations, of course, and then BINGO! :)

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Usman Khan

Mar 24, 2014 02:07am

Basically the military and Govt and buying time for the big attack that will commence in Summer. It has been an uncharacteristically harsh winter and the military is waiting for the thaw to start the full scale operation. Also when the operation was about to start earlier, the army told NS that very little intel was available on the militants in NWA. Hence the beatup of prisoners in Karachi to get more info out of who is who. And what's where in NWA. Thus is all a precursor to the fullscale operation that is about to start. The TTP are also consolidating their positions for the final show down. Hence the request to remove the army dragnet so that they can have more sleeper cells in place for retaliation. Collateral damage to civilians is what govt wants to avoid. They don't want another wave of people leaving NWA and moving to Karachi and beyond.

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NASAH (USA)

Mar 24, 2014 07:14am

A hopeful sign the 'talks' may succeed -- keep up the pressure.

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