In the border areas of the Tirah Valley connected to Afghanistan, Pakistani security forces are withdrawing and abandoning positions to create space for Lashkar-e-Taiba, ISIS, and so-called local peace committee militias to take control. According to local sources, this retreat is not driven by militant pressure, as attacks lack the scale and intensity to force such a move. Instead, it reflects a calculated policy of enabling proxy groups with safe havens and using them against others, particularly pitting Lashkar-e-Taiba and ISIS against the Pakistani Taliban. This underscores a long-standing and controversial strategy of advancing military objectives by destabilizing the tribal areas and turning them into launching pads of violence in Afghanistan. Consequently, Pakistan aims to establish ISIS strongholds in the Tirah Valley to export terrorism to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
