The Origin and originality of Pakistani Taliban

Khalid Kheshgi PESHAWAR: The questions pertaining to the origin and originality of the Taliban and their main sponsors in terms of financial and material support in Pakistan remained unanswered at the concluding session of a round table conference held here at Area Study Center, University of Peshawar Thursday. The two-day conference on ‘Current situation in Fata’ was addressed and participated by retired army and intelligent agencies’ officers, academicians, journalists and scholars, who posed themselves as experts on Afghan and tribal affairs. Former director general ISI Major Gen. (Retd) Asad Durrani, former envy to Afghanistan Rustam Shah Mohmand, Brig. (Retd) Mehmood Shah, Colonel (Retd) Yaqoob Mehsud, Colonel (Retd) Yahya Afandi and Dilwar Wazir presented their opinions on the current situation in tribal areas, followed by questions from students of various departments. The ongoing insurgency in the tribal and settled districts of the Frontier province, failure on the part of security forces to properly combat terrorism and raising of Lashkars against the militants had apparently perturbed the young participants who put various questions like who were the real Taliban and from whom and where they were receiving arms, ammunition and money? Colonel (Retd) Yaqoob Mehsud in his written paper said the government of Pakistan failed to protect the Federally Administered Tribal Areas from the effect of the war fighting between the US-led troops and the Taliban in Afghanistan after 9/11. The intelligent agencies had no proper devices and scientific approach to detect the movement of foreign and local militants and their safe havens, bases, depots and training areas in the tribal belt. He said that slow reaction to the rapid influence and activities of the Taliban in Waziristan Agency had encouraged the militants to spread their network to rest of tribal agencies and adjacent settled districts of the Frontier province. The targeted killing of pro-government maliks, tribal elders and government officials had not only disturbed the existing system in Fata but also put at stake the government writ in the volatile tribal areas. He said the indiscriminate and unnecessary military operations in Waziristan, Bajour, Swat and other troubled areas could not eliminate the militants but produced more sympathizers of the Taliban from those families who were directly affected from the operations. Colonel Afandi said that the immediate withdrawal of the American forces from Afghanistan will result in chaos and anarchy in the neighboring country, which would have its negative consequences on the tribal areas, bordering Afghanistan. To a question, he said that lack of trust amongst the US, Afghan and Pakistan governments and forces had marred the joint patrolling on Pak-Afghan border to check insurgency. Brig. Mehmood Shah said that raising of tribal lashkar was not a new concept in Fata as the tribesmen had formed lashkars against criminals and foreign invasion in past, adding that the tribesmen had been possessed and displayed arms since long. However, he apprehended that lashkarkashi and arming the common people in the settled districts of the province could lead to a civil war and militarization of society in future. Dilwar Wazir, a journalist from South Wazirsitan Agency, contradicted the claims of the government that foreign militants married local women and settled in the Agency for the last three decades but said that militants sneaked in the Agency after 9/11. Major Gen. (Retd) Asad Durrani said that there would be resistance from the Afghan people unless the US forces are not withdrawn from Afghanistan, saying “we have to extend at least sympathy if could not support the Afghan people in their resistance movement.” Former vice chancellor and eminent scholar Dr Anwar in his concluding remarks said that the Taliban movement in Pakistan was not meant for separation but they were demanding for a system which had been promised at the time of creation of Pakistan. If they want shariah laws and courts in their respective areas then why the government of Pakistan was reluctant to establish Islamic courts and system in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Ends