In one of the more bizarre and troubling reports to emerge this week, it was revealed on Tuesday that the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has issued a stark warning to national media and journalists, asking them to refrain from calling them a “terrorist outfit” or they will be treated as enemies. This delusional statement was released by the TTP on social media, where its spokesman Mohammad Khurasani stated that the group was keeping track of critical media coverage where they are being termed as extremists and terrorists.

Such threats coming from banned terrorist groups is of serious concern. Not only is the resurgence of this group a grave national security threat, but the sense of entitlement underscoring this statement must also raise eyebrows. Under no circumstances can we allow the group to regain its strength on our soil and pose a threat to our citizens. There should be no need to spell this out given the wave of militancy and violence that we have had to overcome during the last decade.

Several Pakistan journalists—particularly in erstwhile FATA and KP—have been assassinated, wounded and kidnapped in the war against terrorism across the country. Keeping this in mind, such statements cannot be taken lightly and state authorities need to be vigilant going forward.

Just this week, the TTP claimed responsibility for the tragic suicide attack that was carried out in Quetta. If the attack was indeed planned in Afghanistan and facilitated by India as the Interior Minister has claimed, then it is imperative that this matter be taken up with the Afghan Taliban and the international community at the earliest. A lot of lives have been sacrificed in fighting this menace and we cannot afford a repeat of this doomsday scenario.