The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is considered a primary threat to the security and stability of Pakistan. TTP’s coalition with other terrorist factions operating deep inside Afghanistan and the unwavering support of the Afghan Taliban have provided an edge to the group to conduct terror attacks in Pakistan. Entitled as “Fitna-al-Khawarij,” TTP is responsible for various vicious terror attacks in Pakistan, including the APS Peshawar attack (2014), Bacha Khan University attack (2016), Sehwan Sharif Shrine bombing (2017), Police Lines Mosque bombing (2023), and attacks on security forces (2022–2025), etc. However, recent reports indicate a revival of deep intra-TTP fragmentations. 

Despite having maximum support from the Afghan Taliban, the group is under immense pressure, with party swinging, leadership differences, and ideological rifts as the main issues of discontent. Let’s critically examine various factions of TTP and the internal schisms posing a serious challenge to the overall strength of the group.

The Mehsud group is the central element of the broader TTP factionalism. This group, the product of the Mehsud tribe of South Waziristan, has had Baitullah Mehsud as its leader and then Hakimullah Mehsud. After the assassination of Hakimullah Mehsud in 2013, some of the core divisions existed in the tribe on who would succeed the leadership. The biggest problem was the nomination of the non-Mehsud commander, Mullah Fazlullah, of Swat. As a result, Khalid Mehsud formed a counter-group in South Waziristan. Currently, this group is led by Noor Wali Mehsud.

The HGB is a North Waziristan-based group, under the leadership of Hafiz Bul Bahadur, belonging to the Utmanzai Waziri tribe. Historically, this group held an anti-West global jihadist agenda and less anti-Pakistan policies with selective........

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