In recent years, a number of militant fighters who speak Urdu and Punjabi languages and have their bases in Pakistan's Punjab province have joined the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. As a result, the Taliban movement, which had traditionally comprised of Pashtu-speaking militants based in the Pakistani tribal region, began turning to be a multi-ethnic jihadist movement not limited to Pashtuns.
In May 2009, in a lecture delivered in Karachi, senior Pakistani journalist and author Ahmed Rashid noted this trend of the Taliban movement turning into a multi-ethnic movement.[1] He observed: "In 2001, the Afghan Taliban fled to Pakistan. Pakistani Taliban, which previously had little clout, became hosts of the Afghan Taliban and earned much money for their assistance. From 2001 to 2004, the Pakistani Taliban grew in numbers and influence and became radicalized because of their proximity to the Afghan Taliban. They planned and mobilized to establish a Taliban 'emirate' or state in FATA [the Federally Administered Tribal Areas situated along the Afghan border] and the expansion of that idea of statehood is what we see happening today...."[2]
Rashid further elaborated: "The leadership of the Taliban is now in Pakistan, and they have stated their intention of overthrowing the government here. The Taliban are linking up with groups in Pakistan, and the Pakistani Taliban movement is turning into a multiethnic movement. Groups cultivated [by the Pakistani Army] to fight in Kashmir have joined up with the Pakistani Taliban, and include Punjabis with organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Harkatul Mujahideen. Now, some 40 groups in Pakistan are loosely affiliated.... For that reason, Pakistan faces a more dangerous situation than Afghanistan, where Tajik and Uzbek fighters were not permitted to join the Afghan."[3]
Following the July 1 suicide bombings at the shrine of the 11th-century Sufi mystic Syed Ali Hajveri in Lahore, the debate about threats posed by the "Punjabi Taliban" has again ignited in Pakistan. Shahbaz Sharif, the Chief Minister of Punjab province, and his brother Nawaz Sharif, have expressed opposition to the use of the term Punjabi Taliban. Their party Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), which rules the Punjab province, and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), which leads the federal government and draws its strength from the Sindh province, have engaged in arguments over the use of the term Punjabi Taliban. In a recent article, entitled "The Discourse on Punjabi Taliban," veteran journalist and Taliban affairs expert Rahimullah Yusufzai, who is based in Peshawar, examined the recent debate about Punjabi Taliban.
Following are excerpts from the article:[4]
"A Term [Punjabi Taliban] that was First Used by Pashtun Tribal People to Describe Punjabi Militants in Their Midst in Waziristan has Become a Matter of Dispute..."
"A term [Punjabi Taliban] that was first used by Pashtun tribal people to describe Punjabi militants in their midst in Waziristan has become a matter of dispute between the leaders of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N). Interestingly, mostly Punjabis from the two major political parties of Pakistan are involved in this controversy at a time when unity is needed to tackle terrorism. There is no doubt that this is an ideal outcome for the terrorists and whoever is sponsoring them because terrorist acts are committed not only to cause death and destruction but also chaos and uncertainty.
"The PML-N leaders object to the use of the term Punjabi Taliban. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has accused Interior Minister Rahman Malik, a lateral entrant in the PPP, of using it to create rift between the provinces. He argued that the statement by Rahman Malik, who is a Punjabi... using the words Punjabi Taliban and Punjabi terrorists amounted to a condemnation of the people of Punjab. Shahbaz Sharif also stressed that he has never used the term Pakhtun Taliban or Pashtun terrorists.
"[Former Prime Minister] Nawaz Sharif also took exception to the use of the term 'Punjabi Taliban' by remarking that terrorists are just terrorists as they had no boundaries and territories. Indeed this is the line now being taken by most politicians..."
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"Not Long Ago Pashtuns were the Villains, as Almost All Taliban were Pashtun; Common Pashtuns Earning Their Livelihood in Punjab, Sindh... were Increasingly being Viewed with Suspicion"
"Not long ago Pashtuns were the villain,s as almost all Taliban were Pashtun. Common Pashtuns earning their livelihood in Punjab, Sindh, Azad [i.e. Pakistani] Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad were increasingly being viewed with suspicion and the police in some places rounded up innocent Pashtu-speakers after accusing them of being militants or their facilitators. It would be a while before these poor souls are able to prove their innocence. Many wealthy Karachi and Lahore families stopped hiring Pashtuns, known for their loyalty and for doing tough menial jobs, or fired those already in their pay. One wonders if those denied an opportunity to earn an honest livelihood wouldn't consider returning to their wretched villages and joining the militants...
"Returning to the debate on Punjabi Taliban, Rahman Malik denied using this term and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said he was satisfied with his explanation. The Interior Minister is obsessed with media coverage and often he lands himself in trouble by talking too much and about matters, like military operations and strategies, that aren't part of his job. Despite being proved wrong on a number of occasions, he didn't stop claiming the death of top Taliban commanders in tribal areas that are beyond his mandate and where intelligence networks have usually been found wanting.
"The discourse about Punjabi Taliban is taking place at a time when a recent International Monetary Fund report put Pakistan's losses in the past five years due to the 'war on terror' at 2.08 trillion Pakistani Rupees and when the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP or the Movement of Pakistani Taliban) is attempting a comeback in South Waziristan, Bajaur and Mohmand tribal regions by launching fresh attacks against the security forces and target-killing government supporters. Its jihadi allies are aiding these efforts by striking in the cities, particularly in Lahore, and in the process sowing the seeds of discord in the country's political, religious and ethnic fabric.
"The fault lines in our society are being exposed and cleverly exploited. There is talk of the Deobandi-Barelvi divide, as numerous organizations claiming to speak for the majority Sunnis clamor to grab attention and gain ascendance in the wake of the suicide bombings at the Data Darbar of Lahore's patron saint Syed Ali Hajvairi [on July1]. The Ahle Hadith sect and others that don't like visits to shrines and condemn certain rituals that go on around the graves of the saints are attracting flak. There are fresh demands for more and tougher military operations against the militants not only in the tribal borderlands of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but also in southern Punjab..."
"Two Peace Accords, One with the Hafiz Gul Bahadur-led Taliban Faction in North Waziristan and Another with Maulvi Nazeer's Tribal Fighters... in South Waziristan, are Still in Place and Accepted by Both the Militants and the Military"
"The politicians, ruling or otherwise, would have to keep in mind the reaction of the powerful military and the interfering Americans, who despite their failure to contain the Taliban in Afghanistan still believe that they are qualified to advise Islamabad on how to tackle the Pakistani Taliban. On a previous occasion, all these politicians almost absolved themselves of responsibility and gave a free hand to the military to carry out action against the militants.
"There is renewed demand by certain politicians for negotiating peace with the Pakistani Taliban to end their devastating bombings in the cities. This demand is unlikely to be accepted by the powers that be even though two peace accords, one with the Hafiz Gul Bahadur-led Taliban faction in North Waziristan and another with Maulvi Nazeer's tribal fighters in Wana and Shakai in South Waziristan, are still in place and accepted by both the militants and the military.
"Besides, the other insurmountable hurdle is the TTP's main demand that Pakistan should end its alliance with the U.S. and stop being part of the 'war on terror.' Is it possible for our leading politicians and generals to accept this demand in view of the international situation and on account of the tendency of our ruling elite to cling to the U.S. in the hope of advancing their personal interest? In fact, Pakistan would be better off if it wasn't such a close ally of the U.S. but it is a relationship that cannot be given up easily due to the ground realities and for want of better options."
"Mohammad Omar Proudly Introduces Himself as Spokesman for Punjabi Taliban When He Phones Journalists from Somewhere in North Waziristan and Speaks in His Punjabi-Accented Urdu"
"Even if the Sharif brothers are justified in objecting to the use of the term Punjabi Taliban, the fact remains that the militants themselves prefer its usage. Mohammad Omar proudly introduces himself as spokesman for Punjabi Taliban when he phones journalists from somewhere in North Waziristan and speaks in his Punjabi-accented Urdu. For him, all Punjabi militants presently aligned to the TTP are part of the network of Punjabi Taliban. Government officials have also being using the term Punjabi Taliban. When South Waziristan's political agent [i.e. administrative officer] Shahab Ali Shah convened a jirga [meeting] of Ahmadzai Wazir tribal elders in Wana on July 4 to warn them about military operation in their area if they didn't expel foreign militants, he specifically mentioned Punjabi Taliban.
"It is interesting though that the original Taliban in Afghanistan have curtailed the use of Taliban and prefer calling their movement the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, while those inspired by them insist on being identified as Pakistani, Punjabi or Swati Taliban."
[1] The Dawn Blog (www.dawn.com), Pakistan, May 4, 2009.
[2] The Dawn Blog (www.dawn.com), Pakistan, May 4, 2009.
[3] The Dawn Blog (www.dawn.com), Pakistan, May 4, 2009.
[4] The News, Pakistan, July 6, 2010. The text of the article has been lightly edited for clarity.
