Page 11 - The Indian EYE 022423

OPINION FEBRUARY 24, 2023 | The Indian Eye 11

of the group; the group is over-
whelmingly Pashtun in composition.
Its position and ideology are large-
ly limited to the Pashtun speaking
areas of Pakistan, KP and some
areas of Balochistan in the east. It
cannot claim to be representative
of the entire country or having the
support of a good number of peo-
ple in Punjab, Sindh and Baloch-
istan. Its non-recognition of the
Durand Line and time and again
announcing its allegiance to the Af-
ghan Taliban further underline its
Pashtun characteristic. The effort
made by Wali Mehsud to merge
Punjabi-Taliban and other sectarian
groups has more to do with their
strong anti-Shi’ite proclivity than
their support for TTP’s ideology.
Among the Pashtuns, there are
strong divisions. Despite statements
made by then Prime Minister Imran
Khan that because of the war on
(Pashtuns) Afghanistan, the Pash-
tuns in the bordering area had natu-
rally gravitated towards their breth-
ren across the border, large sections The TTP is engaged in a battle of narrative with the Pakistani state. It says that the state does not practice true Islam and therefore
of the Pashtuns do not abide by the TTP can wage a legitimate Jihad against it (File photo)
the ideology and views of the TTP.
The Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement
(PTM), which has been at forefront killed in Muslim graveyards. The After losing much of its support Call for an Afghan Pakistan
of the ethnic Pashtun aspiration and same line was adopted by the head in the wake of Pakistan’s military The TTP has inherent contradic-
has been extremely popular in the of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan, operations, the TTP gained momen- tions in its ideology and its practice
tribal areas, has publicly shunned Syed Munawar Hassan when in 2013 tum when the Afghan Taliban took of political violence by attacking spe-
the ideology propagated by the TTP. he called the TTP head, Hekimullah control in Kabul in August 2021. cific targets, including the ones that
Mehsud, a martyr. There are takers Not only did it reassemble many of it considers un-Islamic, labeling them
Jihad as tactic to claim for ‘jihad’ of the type TTP-like forc- its members who had left its fold, as infidels (deniers of true Islam). On
political authority es endorse within the mainstream but also brought in various other ex- the one hand, it seeks to engage in
political groups. tremist factions through Wali Meh- theological debate with the ulemas
he TTP is engaged in a battle sud’s able diplomacy. (clergy) in Pakistan, while on the oth-
of narrative with the Pakistani
Tstate. It says that the state does These fringe elements threat- Wali Mehsud also brought back er it spells out its own brand of Islam,
not practice true Islam and there- ened to become the core un- the debate over Jihad, and hailed which it considers as authentic and
legitimate.
those joining TTP as the followers
fore the TTP can wage a legitimate
Jihad against it. Ironically, both the til the TTP struck at the Army of ‘true Islam’. He started directly In fact, they have found endorse-
challenging the religious scholars of
Pakistani State and the TTP seek to Public School in Peshawar in Pakistan: “If you find any problem in ment of their ideology in Afghan Tal-
iban’s return to power. The TTP has
use Islam for fulfilling their political the jihad that we waged [as against declared its allegiance to the Afghan
objectives and gain power. As Rox- 2014, killing 141 people, in- the global agenda of the infidels] … Taliban and hopes to replicate the same
anne Euben would argue, sometimes cluding 132 school children. you’re requested to guide us.” He as- experiment in Pakistan. The TTP’s
a religious action is made amenable serted that if the Pakistani religious way of engaging the ulema of Pakistan
to “market logic” in which the “religi- The attack was seen as grue- scholars were to stay silent, it meant is in fact a clear exhortation to adopt
osity” is portrayed “as an instrument some and ended up eroding that they agreed with his message. the ways of the Afghan Taliban and
to some end external to it”. Both the
TTP and the Pakistani state want to the support-base for the TTP A group of Pakistani ulema did bring ‘true’ Islamic rule to Pakistan.
respond to his challenge and de-
justify their respective ends by using in Pakistan. The heinous act clared that only the head of an Is- Dr Nazir Ahmad Mir is a Research
Jihad as an instrument to mobilize Analyst at Manohar Parrikar Institute
support. Both draw their arguments of killing school children ‘mil- lamic country could give a call for for Defense Studies and Analyses
Jihad. However, the TTP said that
from religious precepts and use reli- itarized the civilian space’ and it did not recognize Pakistan as an Views expressed are of the author and
gious leaders to propagate their re- Islamic state. do not necessarily reflect the views of
spective viewpoints. garnered support for military Thus, the debate has reached a the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the
The debate within Pakistan had action against the perpetra-
started in the 2000s when Maulana dead end, given the humongous di- Government of India.
Abdul Aziz, the Lal Masjid (Red tors. It gave legitimacy to the versity in the views and the plurali- This article first appeared in the Com-
ty of scholarship on Jihad. But it is
Mosque) cleric in Islamabad, called state to unleash strong military likely to take a heavy toll on the peo- ments section of the website (www.
the military operation in North Wa- idsa.in) of Manohar Parrikar Institute
ziristan un-Islamic and asked for not action against the TTP. ple of Pakistan, given the violence for Defense Studies and Analyses, New
allowing the burial of the soldiers that the TTP propagates. Delhi on February 14, 2023

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