Page 12 - The Indian EYE 091721

OPINION SEPTEMBER 17, 2021 | The Indian Eye 12

tehrik-e-taliban pakistan and its

relations with afghan taliban

Pakistan continues to refer to the TTP as a tool being used by India

and other foreign powers to destabilise it

ashOk k. Behuria the Afghan Taliban to change
the TTP’s outlook, without any
o understand the interest- success so far.
ing relationship between The Afghan Taliban’s de-
Tthe Tehrik-e-Taliban Paki- pendence on Pakistan is likely
stan (TTP), also known as Pa- to decrease in the coming days.
kistani Taliban, and the Afghan Therefore, even if there may be
Taliban, one must peep into a token response to Pakistan’s
history to see how the linkages request, they are unlikely to take
developed and why the Afghan any conclusive action against the
Taliban are not responding in TTP, especially when elements
equal measure to Pakistan’s re- within the Taliban favour TTP’s
peated appeals to take conclu- idea of bringing Pakistan under
sive action against the TTP. Islamic rule. Moreover, action
Pakistan regards the TTP against the TTP may alienate
as a retrograde armed outfit. many groups within the Taliban,
It is launching regular attacks affecting internal unity that is so
against it, despite decisive op- essential to the Taliban’s hold
erations conducted against it The TTP has ideologically gravitated towards the extreme sectarian version on power in Kabul, at a time
in the past. The TTP, in fact, of radical Sunni Islam, much like the Islamic State when there are reports of vari-
claimed through a post on Tele- ous factions fighting internally
gram on 2 September that it had The TTP has ideologically heed or martyr which is unac- for power. In these circumstanc-
carried out 32 attacks inside Pa- gravitated towards the extreme ceptable to him as a Muslim. es, the relationship between the
kistan in August 2021 alone. sectarian version of radical Sun- About the Jihad in Kash- TTP and the Afghan Taliban
Pakistan continues to refer ni Islam, much like the Islamic mir, he says that he was asked will continue to be dictated by
to the TTP as a tool being used State. Over the years, various to fight in Kashmir, but he did religious-ideological conver-
by India and other foreign pow- groups within the TTP have not accept it because he realised gence, ethnic-fraternal linkages
ers to destabilise it. After the maintained close contact with that even if Kashmir were to be and the close camaraderie that
Taliban took over Kabul, Paki- global Islamist organisations liberated from the Indian con- emerged while they were fight-
stan reportedly handed over a like Al-Qaeda and the Islam- trol it would become part of a ing together against the foreign
list of most-wanted TTP terror- ic State. However, the main country, which did not function ‘occupying’ forces in Afghanistan.
ists operating from Afghanistan branch of TTP has always according to Islamic principles.
to the Taliban chief Haibatullah pledged its loyalty to the Amir Even then, Pakistan con- Ashok K. Behuria is Senior
Akhundzada, following which, of Afghan Taliban. tinues to believe that the TTP Fellow at Manohar Parrikar
the latter set up a three-member In a series of articles in Na- is being sponsored by Indian Institute for Defence Studies and
commission to investigate Paki- wa-e-Afghan Jihad, Adnan intelligence. Some of the TTP Analyses, New Delhi
stan’s claims. Rashid—a native Pakistani and members like Latif Mehsud and Views expressed are of
However, the Taliban’s pub- former technician in the Paki- Ehsanullah Ehsan have been
lic response has been rather stan Air Force, convicted and forced to issue statements to this the author and do not necessarily
tame and diplomatic. They have sentenced to death for his role effect to persuade the TTP to reflect the views of the Manohar
said that the TTP was a foreign in the assassination attempt on turn their guns away from Paki- Parrikar IDSA or of the Govern-
ment of India.
outfit operating inside Pakistan, Musharraf but released by the stan towards India. The anti-In-
and they would not allow either TTP on 15 April 2012 from Ban- dia propaganda pamphlets have This is the abridged version of
the TTP or any other group nu jail— argues very forcefully been distributed in the tribal the article which appeared first
to operate from the Afghan that Pakistan has a kafir army areas from time to time urging in the Comment section of the
soil against any other country, because it has kafir officers in it people to wage jihad against In- website (www.idsa.in) of Mano-
whereas Pakistan would have and, whoever dies in the army dia in Kashmir. However, this har Parrikar Institute for Defense
liked them to take a conclusive (whether he is a Christian, Hin- strategy has not worked. Paki- Studies and Analyses, New Delhi
action against the TTP. du, Sikh or Shia) is called a sha- stan has also tried hard to use on September 16, 2021

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