Part 3/14:
Central to the worsening relationship is the militant group known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also called Pakistan Taliban. Inspired ideologically by Afghanistan's Taliban, TTP seeks to establish a Sharia-guided state within Pakistan. Founded in 2007, it operates as an umbrella for various hardline Sunni extremist factions. The group intensified its campaign in 2024, committing over 500 attacks resulting in more than 1,500 deaths—the deadliest year in nearly a decade.