Afghan Taliban supporting Pakistani militants
The Afghan Taliban are financially supporting
Pakistani militants at war with Islamabad and providing sanctuary for them in
neighboring Afghanistan, the Pakistani Taliban's spokesman said, highlighting
the risk both groups pose to the Pakistani government. Pakistan has waged war
against the Pakistani Taliban, which seeks to replace the country's democratic
system with one based on Islamic law. But it has held off on targeting the
Afghan Taliban, which has focused its attacks on U.S.-led troops in
Afghanistan. Pakistan has historical ties with the Afghan Taliban, and many
analysts believe Islamabad views the group as a useful ally in Afghanistan
after foreign forces withdraw.
The Afghan Taliban are also providing sanctuary for a
prominent Pakistani Taliban commander, Mullah Fazlullah, in eastern
Afghanistan's Kunar province, said Shahid. Fazlullah was the commander of the
Taliban in Pakistan's northwest Swat Valley but was driven into Afghanistan
when the Pakistani army launched a big offensive there in 2009. The Taliban
have financed many of these attacks through a combination of kidnappings,
extortion and bank robberies. But Shahid's comments indicate these sources of
financing do not always provide the funds they need.
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