At a time when the Taliban movement is making its strongest push in years to regain influence and territory in Afghanistan, Quetta has become an increasingly brazen hub of activity by the Islamist militia, the LA Times reported on Thursday.
Quetta serves as a place of rest and refuge for Taliban fighters between battles, a funneling point for cash and armaments, a fertile recruiting ground and a sometime meeting point for the groupÂ’s fugitive leaders, the report quoted aid workers, local officials, diplomats and others as saying.
“Everybody is here,” MNA Mahmood Khan Achakzai said while describing the routine comings and goings of senior Taliban commanders in Quetta. Quetta is a microcosm for these tensions. Local Pakistani authorities insist that they keep a tight lid on Taliban activity — a claim derided by many residents of this city of about 1.5 million people, and one backed by little demonstrable evidence.
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