Afghanistan (MNN) — The Taliban in Afghanistan has mediated a ceasefire between the Pakistani military and the Pakistan Taliban (TTP).
The TTP said the ceasefire would last until May 30.
However, Nehemiah with FMI says the agreement hasn’t stopped the violence “…because every day there is an attack on civilians or on military personnel in Pakistan.”
One of the TTP negotiators has a violent past and is responsible for thousands of deaths. He spent time in prison, but the Pakistani military released him a year ago as part of negotiations. Nehemiah says, “He was involved in suicide bombings at the church in Pakistan. They killed many Christian people and many Pakistani civilians.”
What does the TTP want?
Nehemiah says the situation amounts to a war raging in the areas near the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. The TTP wants to force an extreme version of Muslim law onto the whole country, mimicking the situation in Afghanistan.
And the group enjoys some public support as well. Nehemiah says, “There are many people, many Islamic religious organizations or religious political organizations, who really want Sharia law enforced in Pakistan. The TTP has a popular sentiment among people. They’re popular, especially in tribal areas.”
Ask God to protect Pakistani Christians from the TTP.
The group has a recent history of targeting Christians. In April, the TTP murdered a Christian husband and wife in an attack on an FMI partner. Nehemiah says family members who escaped are still receiving death threats today.
Header photo courtesy of FMI.
