Funding for TTP resettlement on hold amid transparency concerns

ISLAMABAD: The Afghan Taliban are under growing scrutiny over the use of funds provided by a Gulf state for resettling Pakistani Taliban (TTP) families in Ghazni province as neither proper financial records nor details of the individuals relocated have been shared, raising questions about transparency.

The Taliban government had committed to relocating members of the defunct Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and their families to Ghazni, accompanied by a pledge to disarm them. As a trial effort, a pilot project was launched with a $6 million grant from a Gulf state, aimed at settling approximately 2,000 families.

Now that additional funding is being requested, the donor has demanded an accounting of the initial funds.

A source close to the matter said the Taliban have so far failed to provide the required documentation, frustrating the donor. It had been anticipated that a successful pilot would attract broader international support — a goal that has not materialised.

Previously, Pakistan had shown interest in sponsoring the resettlement with support amounting to roughly Rs30 billion, but the initiative fell through due to deep-seated mistrust in the Afghan leadership. This distrust was magnified by the return of Lashkar-e-Islam militants to the Tirah Valley who were initially settled in Uruzgan in 2021. A faction of the Afghan Taliban is believed to align with the TTP, and militants from the Balochistan Liberation Army are also thought to take refuge there.

Given this backdrop, the Gulf donor stepped in to fund the Ghazni project. However, they have declined to release further funds until credible evidence is provided — confirming whether the settlers remain in Ghazni or have returned to Pakistan.

The issue also surfaced during a recent Pak-Afghan meeting in Islamabad. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was unable to attend because the UN Security Council did not approve his travel waiver. Although he had previously been granted permission to travel to Beijing and Moscow, his request for a visit to Pakistan was blocked — reportedly due to US opposition. A Pakistani official remarked sharply, “They wonder why they [the Afghan Taliban] have all the wanted persons in the government.” Nearly all Afghan Taliban ministers remain on the UN sanctions list and must secure individual travel exemptions.

Additionally, a planned visit to India was rescinded after noting the fate of his request to Pakistan.