Thursday, February 2, 2017

The Defunct Tehreek- e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)?

By Atta Rasool Malik
The once considered ruthless TTP is almost dead now. The back ground of most of the TTP leadership shows that they were not Islamists. They neither attended any religious seminary nor touched upon the basic principles of Islam. These leaders included Hakimulla Mehsud (late), Abdullah Mehsud (late), Fazlullah (sitting Amir based in Afghanistan), Sheikh Khalid Haqqani (Naib Amir based in Afghanistan), Shakeel Ahmed Haqqani, Muslim Khan, Tariq Afridi alias Gider (late), Shahryar Mehsud, teacher Waliur Rehman Mehsud (late), Khan Said Sajna, Abdul Wali Mohmand, Asmatullah Muawiya alias Punjabi, Mufti Hassan Swati, Mangal Bagh Afridi and Adnan Rasheed etcetera. As per the military sources claim and endorsed by the locals, operation “Zarb-e-Azb” has successfully destroyed the militant edifice in our tribal belt, FATA. The TTP remnants have been left with a negligible space to hide and almost absconding either in remote western parts of the country or the adjoining Afghan border territory.
After dislodging by Pakistan Army from the tribal area, the TTP has recently started a new way of proxy war through a malicious propaganda to brainwash the tribesmen against their homeland and Armed Forces. Out of frustration, they are targeting the two nation theory, founder of Pakistan Quaid - e - Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the first Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan, Islamic character of the Pakistani constitution and trying to raise doubts against Pakistan movement. They are exploiting minor excesses of government and Pakistan Army in the area to create a favourable space for them in the area. They are carrying out the campaign through anonymous writings and leaflets in the area.
            Suffered from the earlier setback, the militants are bent upon destroying Islam by misusing it for their personal agenda. Their claim of being Islamists, seem to be a hollow one. On the eve of ongoing military operation, the country’s prominent clerics declared TTP an un-Islamic militant group and declared Pakistani constitution according to Islam. Maulvi Kifayatullau of JUI - F, in one of his talk show said that Pakistan’s constitution is totally Islamic as it was signed by his former party leaders Sheikh Shabir Ahmed Usmani and Mufti Mehmud, after getting satisfied that it was Islamic in letter and spirit as reflected in the preamble of 1973 constitution.
Keeping in view our institutional and military strength, Pakistan is considered the “Fort of Islam” and greatly respected by the Muslim Umma across the globe. Our society is purely Islamic as compared to the class society in neighboring India. Our past history including the wars fought with India and the role played against former Soviet Union in Afghanistan with our meager resources is a true reflection of Islam. The text of our present constitution declares Pakistan as “Islamic Republic of Islam” and “sovereignty over the entire universe belongs to Allah Almighty” and that “any law repugnant to Islam will be declared null and void”. Moreover, the constitution declares that “steps will be taken to enable the Muslims of Pakistan, individually and collectively, to order their lives in accordance with the fundamental principles and basic concepts of Islam”.
After Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Iran, Pakistan is the third Islamic country in the world. The TTP remained unsuccessful to impose its own brand of Islam and malign Pakistan. Their brutal acts against the minorities on both sides of “Durand Line” reflect their extremist brand of thoughts which they are linking with Islam. The blast in Peshawar Church, attacks against the Shia community in Kurram Agency and Punjab as well as the destruction of historical Budha statues in Bamyan province of Afghanistan in the past are evident of their frustration. All such acts are neither Islamic in nature nor human.
The militants prejudice for sectarian and political objectives can be understandable which led them to join hands with the enemies of Islam and Pakistan. Their ideology is based on intolerance and unconstitutional ways of injustice and barbarity.
The writer is freelance journalist       


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