Staff Correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Al Qaeda is providing support to militant groups including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) for terrorist activities in Pakistan, according to a United Nations report.
The report said links between militant networks operating from Afghanistan and terrorist attacks in Pakistan have strengthened in recent years.
According to the UN, after Al Qaeda fighters left Afghanistan following the US-led intervention in 2001, many moved to Pakistan’s tribal areas, where the outlawed TTP provided them shelter. Their ties have further strengthened since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
The report said Al Qaeda has assisted the TTP in strengthening its strategy, training and propaganda capabilities. In April this year, Al Qaeda’s media wing publicly expressed support for the TTP’s activities against Pakistan for the first time.
US-based researcher Amira Jadoon said cooperation between the two groups ranges from operational assistance at the grassroots level to greater integration of their narratives at senior levels.
Another research consultant said Al Qaeda had been encouraging the Pakistani Taliban since 2020 to dissolve its separate organisational structure and merge with Al Qaeda.
Some experts believe the effort may also be linked to pressure from the Afghan Taliban. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban authorities have reportedly provided various militant groups with shelter, accommodation and financial assistance.
Reports have also alleged that Afghan Taliban authorities issued local identity cards to members linked to the TTP, Al Qaeda and Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), including Uyghurs associated with the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, also known as the Turkistan Islamic Party.
The UN report said Al Qaeda’s support was not limited to the TTP and also extended to militant groups including the BLA and Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan. According to the report, AQIS provides training and strategic assistance to Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan.
Some experts, however, believe Al Qaeda and the TTP have different objectives and strategies. Despite these differences, ideological similarities have allowed cooperation in areas including media, propaganda, training and logistical support.
The UN had described Al Qaeda in December 2025 as a “service provider” for militant groups operating in Afghanistan, saying the organisation provides them with training, advice and logistical assistance.