Global Watch | Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan: Why India should be concerned about Pak-nurtured snakes

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been waging a relentless war against the Pakistani establishment for quite some time, inflicting heavy casualties, which also puts a question mark on the capability of Pakistan to fight this well-oiled terror machine. For this, Pakistan has to blame itself as TTP is the creation of Pakistan itself. Also, the role of deep state in Pakistan needs to be monitored closely by the international community as TTP couldn’t have survived as well as thrived without support from a section of Pakistani establishment which adheres to the radical Deobandi philosophy from which both Taliban in Afghanistan and later TTP in Pakistan originated. One shouldn’t thus accept on the face value, Pakistan’s attempts to depict itself as an ‘innocent’ victim of terrorism especially after it has nurtured radical Islamic outfits and terror groups for a very long time.

In the beginning of this year, the TTP kicked off the next round of war with Pakistan’s establishment by announcing the formation of a parallel government full cabinet and issuing a threat to kill top leaders of major political parties there. This is one of the foremost challenges to Pakistan’s sovereignty which is already reeling under a huge economic crisis and facing bankruptcy, courtesy its corrupt and lame duck governments which tend to focus more on running anti-India campaigns rather than setting their own house in order.

The TTP’s parallel government in Pakistan now consists of various ministries dealing with political affairs, judiciary, defence, intelligence, education, economic affairs, education and most importantly a fatwa-issuing authority amongst others.

This was followed by a threat issued to kill top political leaders in Pakistan by the TTP. In quick succession came an attack on a mosque in Peshawar in a high security zone killing more than 100 persons. The attack was suspected to be carried out by the TTP.

he Pakistan government has tried to rein in TTP several times in the past but has failed to do so. Buckled down by its failure to deal with TTP militarily, a weak-kneed Pakistan government tried to buy peace through a ‘truce’ with TTP in 2021. This lasted for a month before the TTP resumed attacks in December 2021.

The second ceasefire between TTP and Pakistan’s security forces happened in  May-June 2022. As the negotiations began between the two, the talks hit a dead end over TTP’s demand of demerger of FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan refused to accept this demand and the hostilities resumed in December 2022. And within a month TTP announced the formation of a parallel government.

Snakes in the backyard nurtured by Pakistan

There were various splinter groups, nurtured by Pakistan, which were active in FATA after 2001 and supporting Afghan Taliban’s fight against the US coalition forces. Pakistan, as usual was playing a ‘double game’ to increase its strategic depth in Afghanistan to counter India by providing direct support to Taliban as well as indirect support through these splinter groups. Simultaneously it was also pretending to be providing support to the US and coalition forces. It was a colossal failure of the western security establishment to check this ‘double game’ for which they paid heavily and now Pakistan is paying the price for its deeds as these splinter groups have come together as TTP to challenge its very existence.

These splinter groups while operating independently in the FATA provided men, training, and logistic support to Afghan Taliban in its fight against US and coalition forces. They were the auxiliary units for the Afghan Taliban until 2002. All four-Pakistan establishment, Pakistan’s deep state, Afghan Taliban and the splinter Islamic terror groups- were on the same page till 2002 when the first major faultline appeared.

In 2002 Pakistani military began to conduct operations in FATA against some terrorist groups. In response to this offensive these groups started coordinating to mount a counter offensive against the Pakistani military. This new network of terror groups started consolidating its position and killed around 200 tribal leaders to snuff out any resistance to them and have a complete sway over FATA. They also started mounting attacks against the Pakistani state outside FATA.

The tipping point came on 10 July, 2007 when General Parvez Musharraf ordered the launch of a commando operation against the radical Red Mosque in Islamabad. More than 100 militants were killed. In retaliation, there was a spate of attacks on Pakistani establishments. As the clashes escalated, on 14 December, 2007, a shura of 40 senior Taliban leaders from all over Pakistan established the TTP formally as an umbrella organisation to unite the various factions against Pakistani security forces. Its first Emir was Baitullah Mehsud. Maulana Hafiz Gul Bahadur was appointed as his deputy and Maulana Faqir Muhammad as the third in command.

Though officially the Pakistani government banned the TTP on 25 August 2008, it is clear that a section of the establishment as well as the deep state continues to provide crucial support to TTP as they adhere to the same goal: establishing an Islamic caliphate in Pakistan and then taking this beyond its borders.

In December 2009, the TTP conducted a suicide bombing attack on a US base in Afghanistan in retaliation to its Emir Baitullah Mehsud’s death. In April 2010, the TTP indicated in a video message that to retaliate the US drone strikes on TTP leaders, it would target various US cities. This was followed by an attempted bombing attack on Times Square in May 2010 where TTP’s role was also suspected.

Within Pakistan, Taliban has challenged the Pakistani military by attacking its army headquarters in 2009. It also perpetrated the bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad in 2008. The TTP attack on a school run by the Pakistani army in Peshawar resulted in killing of at least 150 people, including 131 students.

Since 2020, the TTP has consolidated its position under its new chief Nur Wali Mehsud by bringing in around two dozen militant factions in its fold. This has not only strengthened its operational strength but also expanded its geographical outreach in Pakistan.

TTP has also close links not only with Afghan Taliban but also with Al-Qaida. There has been significant increase in terrorist attacks in Pakistan since the Since the Afghan Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021.

It is important to note that the long-term threat of TTP is not only limited to Pakistan. TTP also has Chechen, Arab and Uzbek terrorists. While the most powerful faction within the TTP is led by Pashtuns, a section of Punjabi Taliban that comprises various sectarian groups is focused on waging terrorism in Kashmir. That is why TTP is a clear danger to not only Pakistan but also to regional as well as global security. However, with a failing Pakistani state and the support of the Pakistani deep state to TTP, it remains to be seen how the world will come together and meet this new challenge as Pakistan seems to be quite incapable of doing this on its own.

The writer, an author and columnist, has written several books. His latest book was ‘Taliban: War and Religion in Pakistan’. He tweets @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed are personal

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