Pakistani Taliban at odds over suicide attacks
- By Muhammad Tahir
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Xinhua, July 1, 2011
Pakistani Taliban is facing a visible split days after a senior leader quit over suicide attacks at mosques and bomb blasts in public places and formed a new group.
Commander Fazal Saeed Haqqani, who was leading the Tehrik-i- Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Kurram agency, said earlier this week he has launched a breakaway faction "Tehrik-i-Taliban Islami Pakistan " (Islamic Movement of Pakistani Taliban) and will not attack Pakistani security forces.
Reports about differences within the TTP had been surfaced on several occasions, especially after the death of the TTP founder Baitullah Mehsood in a U.S. drone strike in South Waziristan tribal region in August 2009, but it was the first time that a key Taliban leader openly condemned the group's policies, staging a rebellion against the Amir (chief) and also launched a new faction.
In a media interaction, Haqqani on Monday declared suicide attacks in mosques and public places as forbidden in Islam. He termed attacks in worship places as terrorism and argued that Islam does not permit such attacks. Haqqani also said that he tried to convince the TTP leadership to stop attacks in public places but the leaders did not give any heed to his opinion.
Pakistani officials said that 35,000 people have lost lives in terrorist attacks in 10 years. Haqqani said that he also opposed kidnapping of civilians, especially Shia Muslims, in the region for ransom. Pakistani media had earlier reported differences and even internal clashes in the Bajaur, Orakzai and Mohmand tribal regions.
Saeed Haqqani is considered a key Taliban commander in Kurram agency, who had been heading the group in the area until he announced a breakaway faction. He has studied in Pakistan's biggest religious school "Darul uloom Haqqani" at Akora Khattak in the northwest. Many Afghan Taliban leaders have also studied in this school and its current head Maulana Sami-ul-Haq publicly supports Afghan Taliban.
Haqqani is also considered important in the region as he has strong links with Afghanistan's Haqqani network, the most wanted by the United States. Sources close to the Taliban said that Haqqani had also fought against the U.S. forces in Afghanistan's eastern provinces along with Haqqani network. The sources added that differences between Saeed Haqqani and TTP Chief Hakimullah Mehsood intensified in recent weeks and the locals said clashes have happened between the two sides.
The differences turned to be much serious in March this year when armed men attacked passenger buses in Bagan area of Kurram agency, killing several people and kidnapping 35 Shia Muslims. Haqqani had accused Hakimullah group for the attacks. He also supported a deal to reopen all roads after three years' closure. The roads were opened with Haqqani consent, which annoyed Hakimullah's commanders in the area.
The TTP also faced a split in the nearby Orakzai agency this week when fighters loyal to TTP local commander Mulla Tufan clashed with another commander under Mulla Nabi, which led to the death of 12 people from Nabi group.
Two Taliban groups, one led by Mulla Nazir in South Waziristan and the other headed by Hafiz Gul Bahadar in North Waziristan, have already struck peace deals with the security forces and they are not opposing the military operations against the TTP.
In North Waziristan, commanders of Hafiz Gul Bahadar group have asked the Hakimullah fighters, who had arrived after the military offensive in South Waziristan, to leave the area.
It means the Hakimullah men would now only be confined to few areas in South Waziristan and it would be difficult for them to show any stiff resistance to the Pakistani forces.
The successful military operations by the Pakistani forces in tribal regions and the northwestern Swat valley have already pressurized the Taliban groups and experts believed that these offensives have badly affected the command and control system of the TTP.
The TTP Deputy Chief, Maulvi Faqir Muhammad, told the media this month that he has crossed into Afghanistan's Kunar province from Bajaur. Several other Pakistani Taliban leaders from Mohmand agency also went to Afghanistan and are taking shelter in remote areas under Afghan Taliban control.
The TTP has now lost a key commander, who also enjoys vast influence in Orakzai agency and his decision to take shelter in Afghanistan has shattered the TTP leadership. It would be premature to predict that how much the new Taliban group would be active and effective, but the Tehrik-i-Islami Pakistan would further mount pressure on the TTP, analysts said.
They said the new group will provide an opportunity to those Taliban commanders who have differences with the TTP and want to quit the main umbrella outfit which suffers split at a time when the group has lost sympathy among the people due to its suicide attacks on civilians.
