Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
As reported on November 19, Shahzaib, a resident of Charsadda District had received a text on TTP's letterhead in October (date not specified), and paid up a reduced amount of the USD 50,000 the militants initially demanded, after negotiating a deal through intermediaries.
On October 25, 2024, the guesthouse of a former Senator, Saleh Shah, located in South Waziristan District's Tiarza tehsil (revenue unit), was completely levelled in a blast after 'unidentified attackers' reportedly planted explosives at the residence. Shah told Police that he had been receiving extortion calls from unknown people who had been threatening him and his family with 'dire consequences'.
As reported on September 7, Dr. Muhammad Yousuf from Shaukat Khanum Hospital was abducted from the Bhatta Khusht Bazar in the Achini Road area of Peshawar, and a ransom of PKR 50 million was demanded, before he was finally recovered by the Counter-terrorism Department (CTD) and Police from the Khyber tribal District after ten days in captivity.
On August 28, 2024, Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Amir and three of his relatives were kidnapped by TTP from the Kalach area of Dera Ismail Khan District. Later, in September, they were released following a ransom payment and the release of some TTP cadres in detention.
A September 30, 2024, report indicated that, during 2024, 98 cases of extortion were reported in KP. The President of the KP Chamber of Commerce, Fawad Ishaq, stated,
No one is willing to invest here due to the risk of extortion and terrorism. In recent times, 10 out of 12 textile mills in KP have been closed due to extortion, while about a hundred manufacturers have shifted their business abroad to countries like the USA, UK, Vietnam, Malaysia, UAE and Turkey. Similarly, around 800 small units in the province have also been closed due to the law and order situation…
As reported on November, 19, the southern districts of KP have almost become no-go areas even for law-enforcement personnel. In the evening, militants are seen watching the streets and setting up checkpoints in the Districts of Tank, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, and North and South Waziristan. While these districts remain at mercy of militants from evening to morning, well off people in other Districts of the province regularly get threatening WhatsApp texts and letters from TTP - with demands to pay or face attacks.
Apart from extortion, the terrorists are also involved in generating funds through narcotics trafficking. TTP, in particular, benefits from this illicit trade, using drug money to finance terrorist operations. The Taliban's rule in Afghanistan has further bolstered the TTP, with drug trafficking acting as a lifeline for both groups. As reported on October 2, 2024, TTP and Lashkar-i-Islam continue to make their presence felt in parts of Tirah Valley as they have started asking the leading local narcotics dealers for a 'share' in their earnings from the recently harvested cannabis crop. Earlier, as reported on July 28, 2024, TTP generated 'revenue' from the Khyber District, extorting as much as 20 per cent to 30 per cent from major drug producers or dealers in the District. TTP imposed a tax of PKR 5,000 on every kilogramme of hashish (cannabis) produced/trafficked through the District.
Also, as reported on August 10, 2024, Pakistan Taliban terrorists have engaged in robbing of bank vehicles carrying cash. A disturbing connection has emerged between these acts of violence and financial networks that funnel money to terrorist factions operating in Afghanistan, through hawala and hundi (illegal money laundering channels) in the provinces of Laghman and Khost. Several incidents of robbery of bank vehicles have been reported in Dera Ismail Khan District: on August 8, 2024, PKR 8.8 million was looted from a bank cash van; PKR 40 million on July 30; and PKR eight million on July 8.
A September 10 report indicated that TTP was currently active in 10 of KP's 34 districts. In the North Waziristan District, TTP fighters force locals to feed them, and extort businessmen and wealthy landowners. July 2024 reports stated that contractors working on government-sponsored projects in North Waziristan, South Waziristan, Lakki Marwat, Bajaur, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, and Mohmand were believed to be paying anywhere from 5 per cent to 15 per cent to TTP.
Earlier on July 22, 2024, in a jirga (tribal council) of the elders of Bannu District, it was demanded that all centres of surrendered Taliban be ended permanently, as well as the elimination of "patrolling/ picketing by Taliban forthwith", because Taliban's patrolling, extortion of money and checking of documents undermined the writ of the Pakistani state, strengthening the impression that the government was either unwilling or incapable of protecting citizens from the terrorists.
Nevertheless, the situation in KP continues to deteriorate rapidly. The social and financial disruption caused by TTP terrorists in the province is a clear indication of a bleak future, showcasing the failures of the Pakistani state. Moreover, with constant support from the Afghan Taliban, and a fighting force of an estimated 6,000-6,500 TTP fighters sheltering in Afghanistan, the group is a severe threat to the administration. The TTP, moreover, has a maximalist agenda, seeking to overthrow the existing government in order to establish an Islamic Emirate of Pakistan. The ideology that Pakistan has long promoted has now boomeranged, threatening the very existence of the state itself.