The security landscape for Pakistan has dramatically shifted as the Taliban declares an open ‘holy war.’ Reports indicate that TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud has relayed an order from Afghanistan’s Taliban supreme leader for the full conquest of Pakistan. This announcement emerged shortly after a violent border incident resulted in the deaths of five Pakistani soldiers, plunging Islamabad into a state of alarm. Decades of nurturing the Taliban as a proxy force have led to this critical juncture, where Pakistan is now confronting militants operating from both sides of its border. The TTP’s internal operations within Pakistan are systematically undermining the Pakistani army’s effectiveness, creating a grave internal and external security dilemma. The implications of this declaration are profound for regional stability.
