The Pakistani Taliban has reportedly taken control of the restive Khyber Pakhtunkwa province, with militants establishing a parallel governance system in the Bara region.
This is another escalation of regional instability even as Pakistan stays engaged in war with the neighbouring Afghan Taliban.
According to recent reports from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has successfully asserted dominance over the Khyber district. The insurgent group has specifically consolidated its power within the Bara region, moving beyond clandestine activities to a brazen and open display of authority.
Sources said the TTP has established overt checkpoints throughout the area to monitor local traffic and perform unauthorised searches of civilians. Residents in the Bara tehsil have reported that these militants are now “conducting snap checking of citizens" as a matter of routine.
They said one of the most visible displays of this dominance is near the upscale Al-Haj market area, where armed individuals linked to the TTP set up a formal checkpoint. At this location, they have been observed stopping passing vehicles and conducting thorough searches effectively usurping the role of the local police and border security.
As the holy month of Ramzan progresses, the sources said, the TTP is financing its activities by demanding extortion payments from the population. These funds are being collected under the guise of religious donations, with fighters “collecting extortion/jihad funds in the name of zakkat".
There is video footage, which has not been verified byNews18, showing armed guards patrolling public spaces and marketplaces with complete impunity. These bold displays of authority are intended to project an image of absolute control over infrastructure and commerce.
But, this has failed to elicit a response from official quarters. Pakistan’s security forces reportedly appear “helpless to control TTP fighters" or intervene in their operations.
Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News
