Pakistan, US term TTP, Daesh ‘most pressing challenges’ to global security

Pakistan and the United States have termed the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Daesh as “most pressing challenges” to regional and global security while underlining the importance of bilateral cooperation in tackling the threat of terrorism.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office on Monday, Additional Foreign Secretary for the UN and OIC, Ambassador Syed Haider Shah, and US Department of State Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Ambassador Elizabeth Richard, co-chaired the Pakistan-US Counterterrorism Dialogue on May 10 in Washington.

Discussions centred on the counterterrorism landscape in the region, with a focus on areas of mutual interest.

Pakistani and US senior officials emphasised the importance of expanded counterterrorism collaboration and capacity building, including exchanges of technical expertise and best practices, investigative and prosecutorial assistance, provision of border security infrastructure and training, including the United States training of more than 300 police and frontline responders since the last Pakistan-US Counterterrorism Dialogue in March 2023, and strengthening multilateral engagement such as in the UN and the Global Counterterrorism Forum, the statement added.

It said Pakistan and the United States recognised that a partnership to counter the ISIS-Khorasan — also known as Daesh — the TTP, and other terrorist organisations will advance security in the region and serve as a model of bilateral and regional cooperation to address transnational terrorism threats.

Both governments resolved to increase communication on these topics and continue collaboration to detect and deter violent extremism through whole-of-government approaches.

“The Counterterrorism Dialogue reaffirms Pakistan’s and the United States’ shared determination to contribute to both regional and global security and stability.”

According to a Q1 2024 Security Report issued by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) in April this year, at least 92% of all fatalities and 86% of attacks in Pakistan, including those related to terrorism and security forces operations, were recorded in the Khyber Pakhtun­khwa and Balochistan provinces in the first quarter of 2024.

The report mentioned that the country witnessed at least 432 violence-linked fatalities and 370 injuries among civilians, security personnel and outlaws resulting from as many as 245 incidents of terror attacks and counterterror operations.

Among the 432 fatalities, 281 included that of civilians and security forces personnel.

The KP and Balochistan province alone have accounted for 51% and 41% of the total fatalities in Q1, 2024, respectively. The data indicates that the remaining regions were relatively peaceful, suffering less than 8% of all deaths.