Pak Taliban says will hit Pakistan Army where it hurts: Its business empire

The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan has threatened to target the Pakistani military's commercial interests, naming specific businesses, in response to last month's air strikes in Afghanistan

The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistan Taliban, has warned the Pakistani army that it will continue targeting security personnel and extend its attacks to the military’s commercial interests, Al Jazeera reported on Monday. The warning, which analysts describe as a significant escalation in the group’s conflict with the Pakistani military, follows last month’s air strikes in Afghanistan targeting alleged TTP hideouts.

 

In a statement released on Sunday, the TTP reportedly vowed to target various business ventures operated by the Pakistani military. 

 

Which Pakistan Army-owned companies has the TTP threatened?

 

The TTP reportedly listed several targeted entities, including the National Logistics Cell, a Rawalpindi-based logistics company; the Frontier Works Organisation, known for engineering and construction; Fauji Fertiliser Company, a major fertiliser producer; military-operated housing authorities across Pakistan; a commercial bank; and various other organisations.

 

 

The group also cautioned civilians to withdraw investments from military-operated enterprises within three months and advised employees of these companies to seek alternative employment, added the report. 

 

As of the time of reporting, Al Jazeera stated that the Pakistani military had not responded to the Pakistan Taliban's statement, and the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing, had not addressed its queries.

 

What might have triggered the TTP's escalation against the Pakistani army?

 

The TTP issued its warning amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over the group's operations.

 

In recent weeks, the Pakistani military carried out air strikes in Afghanistan, targeting what it claimed were TTP hideouts. 

 

Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban, which took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, of sheltering TTP fighters and enabling cross-border attacks on Pakistani security forces. The Afghan Taliban, however, denies these accusations.

 

The TTP, which shares ideological ties with the Afghan Taliban, was formed in 2007 during the United States' "war on terror" and has been engaged in an insurgency against the Pakistani state for over a decade.

 

The TTP's key demands include the implementation of strict Islamic law, the release of its imprisoned members, and the reversal of the merger of Pakistan’s tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

 

Since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, TTP-related violence in Pakistan has surged, with nearly 1,000 deaths — primarily among security personnel — reported in 2023.

 

The violence continued into 2024, which the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), an Islamabad-based think tank, described as the most deadly year in nearly a decade.

 

According to CRSS data, 2,526 people were killed in attacks last year, including nearly 700 security personnel, over 900 civilians, and approximately 900 militants. These figures mark the highest death toll since 2016 when 2,432 fatalities were recorded. 

 

What are the implications of the TTP's threat for Pakistan?

 

In comments to Al Jazeera, Imtiaz Gul, executive director of CRSS, cautioned against dismissing the TTP's warning. The group is fully aware that the Pakistani army is the cornerstone of resistance against them, and their aim is to weaken the military and disrupt its interests, Gul noted.

 

Security analyst Abdul Sayed, based in Sweden, described the TTP’s statement as a "significant shift in policy". He explained that under Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud’s leadership since July 2018, the group had primarily targeted security forces. However, Sayed added, recent air strikes in Afghanistan’s Bermal district, which reportedly resulted in civilian casualties, may have prompted internal hardliners within the group to push for a change in strategy.

 

Analysts warn that this shift could lead to a resurgence of large-scale violence, especially in Pakistan's urban areas.