some observations I have
- TTP is being hosted by Afghan intelligence agencies in Kunar and Nooristan, not the Afghan Taliban. this is something which has been raised by Pakistan to both the ISAF command and Karzai's regime. our claims were proven right when not once but twice, the Afgan northern alliance was exposed by the Americans when they raided a convey of Afghan intelligence agency that had a TTP guest. the American special forces forcefully snatched the guy and flew away with him and afterwords got the necessary information off him that led to the drone strike on the former TTP leader Hakim Ullah Mehsood.
- In the past Mullah Omar has distanced himself from TTP and warned it from engaging the Pakistani state. the fights with the TTP and Afghan Taliban on either sides of the Pak Afghan border strengthened the view that Afghan taliban wanted to distance themselves from TTP which was engaged with Pakistani state which not only supported them in the past but was also facilitating them in their negotiations with Americans and Kabul government.
- Ideologically both the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban follow the same faith and values but Afghan taliban have become more realistic in their .approach and have even done the unthinkable by approaching Iran as well (A heretic Shia country as per their faith). TTP on the other side has found no need to be flexible as it has not faced any real challenge due to a confused and apologetic response by the successive democratic governments of Pakistan. there is a possibility of some cooperation among TTP and Afghan Taliban but at a very low level because their area of operation and interest is not only different but conflicting as well. that said there were stories about TTP approaching Afghan Shura and accepting Mullah Omar as its spiritual leader as well. in the end its down to persnal opinion and choice on how to interpret contradictory events of fighting on one hand and cooperation at the same time among TTP and Afghan taliban.
- the so called warning by Pakistan to Afghan Taliban about choosing sides desnt make sense because its the Nawaz government which has not only called off the military strikes on TTP when it was in its most vulnerable state but has also accorded VIP protocol to its representatives and written praises to its leadership and called them their long lost brothers. so this so called warning seems misplaced when Nawaz league Hawks use the TTP references to taunt the Pakistan army and praise their "struggle" against the "wrongful" war on terror started by former dictator General Musharraf.
typical of Geo, the "strategic depth" jibe is amusing, this is the most quoted term used to taunt and criticise Pakistan army both domestically and in India without even bothering to know the meaning and the context. which was nothing more than ensuring that Afghanistan was not host to anti Pakistan activities and a source of destabilisation of Pakistan specially due to civil war that ensued after the Soviet withdrawal. the term has been bastardazied into some ludicrous notion by chronic liars and habitual Pak army haters that Rawalpindi was planning to have its next GHQ somewhere in Afghanistan.
without mentioning the source, the so called report/ analysis doesnt make much sense and hold much meat to the bone. Nawaz regime wont do such thing because of my point number 4. TTP are the ideological brothers of current ruling party. which basically leaves Pakistan military but this warning sounds very hollow when it finds itself being ridiculed and scorned day and night by the Judiciary, politicians and media trio and doesnt have the go ahead even to strike back at TTP after the massacre of its captured soldiers.
finally, contrary to the conclusion of the report, it will be easy for Pakistan to deal and convince the Afghan Taliban in case they are in power rather than the current Kabul regime. because the Northern Alliance by its actions and its words has clearly demonstrated that it will do everything in its power to damage Pakistan by not only directly engaging in subversive activities but also facilitating terrorist entities that are engaged in a violent war with thestate of Pakistan and also other international entities that want to instigate and support unrest in Balochistan.