RELATION BETWEEN AFGHANISTAN & PAKISTAN JIHAD GROUPS

Historical Perspective

Taliban is derivative of Arabic word Talib, mean student. It specifically used for religious

seminary student in North West and the Pashtoon dominated areas of Baluchistan

bordering Afghanistan. They had nothing to do with fighting basically. The geopolitical

change brought in a challenge and opportunity for them to participate in Jihad.

The naiveté people of North West Frontier have always been lead by the local priests and

Mullahs. Regional and global power exploited them as proxy and brutalize when they

cross the threshold. Such retaliations and transformation from proxy to indigenous cause

render them Mujahid to terrorist.

Taliban, in the present connotation was first used in 1892 by Mullah Pawinda who

conferred on himself the title of ‘Badsha-i-Taliban’. Contemporarily the title is being

used by the Mullah Omer‘s student militia, others have started using it in a broader sense

of affiliation and reciprocities.

"Taliban" sounds like one large united group of fighters, but in actuality Islamic militant

groups in Pakistan consist of several groups that may share some common goals but often

have conflicting agendas.1

Even during resisting Soviets they never used Taliban for their fighter but Muahadeen. It

was in 1992 that they adopted this title.

1
.ibid

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Their Causes

Self determination, enforcement of sharia, countering liberal tendencies, communism

and other ideologies, sectarian dominance and resistance against non interference in the

tribal traditions and way of life are part of their varying agendas which divides them at

times and even becomes a reason for infightings.

Historical Background

Mullalh Powinda in South Waziristan, Faqir of Ipi from North Waziristan, Hadda Mullah

in Mommand, Mullah Syed Akhtar in Khyber and Mullah Saadullah, the well known,

‘liwanay Mullah’ popularly known as mad mullah of Sawat are icons of Tribal resistance

in the Notrth West Frontier. Its shades are manifested in contemporary turmoil. These

characters are hard to be determined as heroes or terrorists owing to not all acceptable

acts, like nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan. They remain frozen in history for over

100 years.

They fought against foreign occupiers who sent expeditions just like today’s’ operations;

their own people , fed up with fights and battles , organized counter lashkars under Raj,

the practice in vogue even today. The fact remains that the occupations and intrusion in

their area have always been the major cause of their discontentment.

There was no Al Qaeda like umbrella then but a movement automated by the foreign

intrusion and occupation, threatening their way of life and conceived by the religious

inclined people, a threat to their religion at the hand of missionaries and liberal

ideologies.

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In this regard their native rulers were not spared even. Amir Amman Ullah Khan was

ousted from power who wanted to enforce liberal laws against the traditional and social

understandings of the people of Afghanistan and FATA.

After over 100 years

1979 was beginning of a new cycle of pan Islamism which gathered Muslims around the

world to fight USSR on both side of Amu River. It was on the theme line of atheist versus

believers dubbed as jihad that actually was capitalist fight against communism. Naiveté

Muslim titled as mujahadeen were used as proxy, who remained oblivious of the precise

cause.

The first round was won to the advantage of Americans and its allies. One can not claim

on the whole booty of war fought with others’ dagger. The original base was to be created

or founded to fullfil indigenous aspirations.

Mullah Muhammad Omar from Kandhar, the one eyed Mujahid who first helped to escort

a Pakistani trade convoy in 1992 soon proved his metal by capturing Kabul. He with his

Taliban was able to control 93% of Afghanistan, 90% control on drug trafficking and near

full control of Afghanistan for the first time in the history, which was unprecedented. No

modern state or even super power could claim that.

For the people of Afghanistan, it was a welcome scenario as they had for long seen only

mayhem and chaos.

Mullah Omer, who adopted the title of Amir ul momeneen and his force called as Taliban

laid the foundations of a classic Islamic state emulating Caliphate.

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The integrated net of religious seminaries students on both side of Durand line were a

granted force at his disposal. The word Taliban harmonized the seminaries students

without distinction of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The word Taliban bonded them better than the obsolete title of mujahadeen, which now

identified with spent force of corrupt warlords.

The title of Taliban defined a new brotherhood that provided comparatively better

governance that mitigated corruption.

They collaborated with Al Qaeda, a Jihad organization founded by Arabs basing on the

old affiliation of Afghan Jihad. Victory over Soviet Union encouraged them to further

their broader aspiration.

Retreat of USSR in Afghanistan was beginning of Jihad in the areas under similar

conditions, which included, Chechnia, Uzbkistan, Bosnia and Kashmir.

The FATA tribes provided sanctuaries to foreign fighters and supported them with lesser

physical participation. The Arab fighters had common grounds of tribal traditions that

made them adjust better than any other foreigners. They were spread over all the seven

agencies. However, the major attraction for the tribal remained the cash flow from the oil

rich states.

The Uzbiks with less understanding of tribal culture settled with one particular clan in

south Waziristan and were prey to the inter tribal rivalries. They killed and being killed

by the FATA tribal and government forces, for whom it became a compusion if not a

necessity. The Uzbiks living in north waziristan were comparatively safe. Rest of the

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fighter, especially Arabs were well adjusted, they married local ladies, resulting in a new

Arab -Pkhtoon generation.

The reciprocities amongst Islamic Jihadi elements lead to divert recourse and logistic to

Indian held Kashmir, Uzbikistan, Chechnia, and lastly bosnia Herzegovina in the support

of their Muslim brethren, under attack from the seculars and orthodox Christians. It

presented a grim scenario to the West who felt the heat very closer. The concern was no

less felt by the single powerful America.

This disillusioned US and the west who basically conceived, restrict these fighter against

communism. The clash of interest widened the conflict to the global level. It resulted in

the intense pressure on the government of Pakistan to bring FATA and it adjoining areas

under its writ.

When army moved in to tribal area under US pressure in 2002 to oust foreigners the tribal

resisted and a new version of Taliban came up this time to resist own army even.

The oversimplification of Jihad was unfolding. The American organized Jihad training

camps produced enough to the level of self-sufficiency.

It might have been the end of history in the context of cold war but the later events

started a new round of war between west and the east with the new generation of English

speaking elite which identified with liberal ideology, supported west against their own

people.

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It was under global net work of Al Qaeda that provided leadership and resource to its

local Jihad organizations. The native organizations emerged with their own agendas

funded by locals and foreign supporters.

The Afghan Taliban

Mullah Omar is the founding father of the Taliban. Mullah Omar fought against the

soviets in Afghanistan along with many other mujahideen (holy warriors). The total

number of Taliban is between 30,000 and 35,000. Its operatives come FATA's seven tribal

agencies as well as several districts of the NWFP, including Swat, Bannu, Tank, Lakki

Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohistan, Buner and Malakand

When the Soviets withdrew in 1989, the mujahideen who had fought to free the country

started fighting amongst themselves. Mullah Omar commanded the support of many men

who had trained in the Islamic religious schools of Pakistan. They were Sunni Muslims

and Pashto speakers. Omar named his movement "Taliban," meaning "students." By

1996, Omar's Taliban had seized Kabul and set up a government in Afghanistan. Mullah

Omar served as de-facto head of government until the U.S. led war in Afghanistan in

2001. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

The major goal of the Afghan Taliban was to set up an Islamic government in the country

of Afghanistan and enforce their interpretation of Sharia law.

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)

The TTP was officially founded by Baitullah Mehsud in Pakistan's Federally

Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in 2007, but Mehsud started forming it as early as

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2002. The goals of the TTP are to unite the Taliban within Pakistan, aid the Afghan

Taliban against NATO forces in Afghanistan, and fight a defensive jihad against Pakistani

forces.

TTP. Baitullah Mehsud claims that their struggle is against the Pakistan government's

support of the American led "War on Terror.

Mehsud released a statement claiming the various attacks across Pakistan in retaliation to

the continued drone strikes by the USA in collaboration with Pakistan. South Waziristan

is currently under the de facto control of Baitullah Mehsud's TTP. Government has

recently announced to launch operation against him.

Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM)

This is comparatively old organization that has recently started using the title of Taliban.

It is not under the leadership of Baitullah Mehsud. This is led by Sufi Mohammad, his

son-in-law Maulana Fazullah formed a fighting wing and used its force against law

enforcement agencies.

They recently made world headlines by taking control of Pakistan's picturesque Swat, Dir

Buner in Malakand division of North West Frontier province. After a deal with

government failed they are under a military operation that has no ending in sight.

Their goal is enforcement of Sharia in Sawat valley which was aggressively opposed by

the liberal forces with the US support and owing to their unthought-of coercive acts, their

actual cause was dooned, creating turmoil, worst that ever.

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This organization has the bloody history of sending its followers to support retreating

Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001. Who were either trapped or killed as they were not

trained to fight.

Lashkar e Taiba

LeT was born as an armed wing of Markaz Dawat-ul Irshad (MDI), Centre for Proselytisation

and Preaching, which was set up in 1987 by three Islamic scholars, Hafiz Saeed and Zafar

Iqbal of the Engineering University, Lahore, and Abdullah Azzam of the International Islamic

University, Islamabad. Azzam was the ideologue for the Palestinian terrorist group, Hamas,

besides being a religious and political mentor of bin Laden. Seed money of $200,000 for the

group was given by Osama bin Laden’s Afghan Service Bureau to set up its headquarters at

Muridke, 30 kms from Lahore, capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province.

The primary goal set for this Pakistani Jihad cum welfare organization was liberation of

Kashmir. It also established dispensaries, schools and welfare unit for the the members and

the natives near its HQ.

The chief of the organization has recently been released by Lahore high court on insufficient

evidence.

Conclusion

All jihad out fit are hateful of USA. They are against the government policy of appeasing US

against own people. They enjoy considerable public support than has waned in recent times

due to media focus on the unpopular acts of TNSM in Sawat.

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The coordinating between all these organizations is hard to deny. Their individual

discontentment has emerged in to one single cause reinforced by the concept of Ummah.

Without resolving their grievances using force would be a violence multiplier.

The end of resistance is directly proportionate to the end of occupations of Afghanistan

and Kashmir which is the real context in the present tumultuous situation.

Education and development plans would cost less than two month expenditures on the

ongoing war and operations.

Extended use of army is tantamount to Pakistan’s integrity as internal use of army creates

chances of doubts and hatred against the most potent symbol of state.

At the same time Jihad organizations should also reconcile and resort to negotiation for a

better understanding of their demands. That the only way through which both sides can

win.