It is customary for sovereign nations to maintain air forces for national defense, but a claim by a terrorist organization to establish its own air force has raised serious concerns. Pakistan-based militant outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has announced plans to set up an air force by 2026, a move that has reportedly unsettled Pakistani authorities. The group, believed to have links with the Afghan Taliban, has expanded its activities since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan and has been working on new operational strategies.
According to TTP sources, the proposed air force would be led by Salim Haqqani. The group has claimed that it plans province-wise deployments, the formation of military units, and the creation of two new oversight zones headed by military commanders. Through this proposed force, the TTP has stated it aims to extend its control over regions such as Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and other provinces, and has also announced leadership changes within its military structure.
The TTP ended its ceasefire agreement with the Pakistani government in November 2022 and has since intensified attacks on Pakistan’s security forces, police, and officials, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Pakistani authorities have accused the group of carrying out attacks from Afghan soil, an allegation that the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has denied.