Claim: A Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) press release says all political parties should vote for PTI in upcoming elections in Punjab and KP.
Fact: The claim is false; the TTP has not expressed support for a PTI-led government. TTP’s statement says they will not target political rallies, parties, processions, and polling stations during the upcoming general election.
On 16 March 2023, a letter was shared by a Twitter account with a blue tick called The Verified. An archived version of the post can be seen here. The Urdu-language letter claims that the Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) organised a meeting on 6 March 2023. According to the letter, like-minded parties agreed to support PTI in the upcoming provincial elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and to ensure support, the group will target specific polling stations.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check investigated the claim and found a tweet shared by The Khorasan Diary – a non-partisan journalist-run platform, on 12 March 2023. The tweet reads, “Pakistan Taliban (TTP) in their latest statement has announced that the group will not target Political rallies, parties, processions, and polling stations in the upcoming elections in the country. These are not our targets.”
On further investigation, Soch Fact Check also found the real, detailed statement by the TTP. The statement headline reads, “To avoid public harm, political meetings, processions, and polling stations are not our target.” The statement also mentions that despite misleading information being spread in the wake of elections, the public is not the target of the group. However, in the same statement, the TTP warns politicians not to aid the military and security forces, which are the primary target of the terrorist group.
A press release shared by TTP’s official media wing “Umar Media”
Moreover, the urls provided in the fake statement do not work. It is also worth noting that the TTP’s press releases include a serial number and follow a well-defined format as shown above. The false press release does not follow the usual format.
Virality
The false letter was shared here on 8 March 2023. It can also be found here, here, here, and here on Twitter.
On Facebook, it can be seen here, here, and here.
It was also shared on Instagram here.
Conclusion: The statement claiming that TTP and other like-minded organisations should support PTI in upcoming elections is false. The terrorist group also debunked the claim announcing that they will not target political rallies and polling stations.