Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Ihsanullah
Tipu
Mehsud
and
Qayum
Khan
Oslo,
December
2014
Introduction1
Zarb-e-Azb
(Strike
of
the
Prophets
Sword)1
is
Pakistan
Armys
latest
military
offensive
against
both
the
homegrown
and
foreign
militants
in
North
Waziristan
tribal
region,
intending
to
restore
the
writ
of
the
government
and
curtail
them
from
using
the
area
as
a
haven
for
carrying
out
further
terror
activities
across
the
country.
North
Waziristan
had
been
the
stronghold
of
militants
led
by
Hafiz
Gul
Bahadur2,
who
signed
a
peace
pact
with
the
government
of
Pakistan
in
2007.3
However,
with
the
consent
of
chief
of
the
group,
Hafiz
Gul
Bahadur,
the
Tehrik-e-Taliban
Pakistan
(TTP)4
along
with
its
foreign
affiliates5
made
its
entry
into
the
area
as
a
result
of
the
military
offensive
Raah-e-Nijat6
in
neighboring
South
Waziristan
in
2009.
Al-Qaeda
commander
Abu
Yahiya
Al
Libi7
and
Haqqani
network
military
commander
Mullah
Sangeen
Zadran8
played
an
imperative
role
to
convince
Hafiz
Gul
Bahadur
to
allow
the
TTP
to
take
refuge
in
North
Waziristan
after
the
latter
agreed
on
shunning
attacks
against
security
forces
in
the
area
and
avoid
using
the
region
as
a
launching
pad
for
militant
activities
across
Pakistan.9
Meanwhile,
Maulvi
Nazir 10
had
refused
to
provide
refuge
to
the
TTP
in
Wana
area
of
South
Waziristan
during
the
same
time.
The
TTP
is
chiefly
concentrating
on
targeting
Pakistani
security
forces
and
challenging
the
writ
of
the
state.
The
TTP
along
with
its
foreign
militant
affiliates
continues
using
North
Waziristan
as
a
launching
pad
for
their
attacks
across
Pakistan.
However,
Gul
Bahadur
Group
has
close
links
with
Haqqani
Network
with
main
focus
on
their
activities
inside
Afghanistan. 11
Prominent
journalist
and
Ex-President
of
Tribal
Union
of
Journalists
(TUJ)12
Safdar
Dawar
said,
It
was
only
after
the
renewal
of
2006
peace
agreement
in
late
2007
that
Hafiz
Gul
Bahadur
asked
his
fighters
to
avoid
attacks
on
Pakistani
military
and
focus
on
struggle
inside
Afghanistan.
As
far
as
Haqqani
Network
is
concerned,
it
has
never
overtly
stated
its
coalition
with
Gul
Bahadur
Group,
but
both
of
them
have
been
assisting
one
another
in
their
shared
activities.13
However,
the
major
role
of
Gul
Bahadur
Group
has
been
three-pronged
support
for
Haqqani
Network,
which
includes
recruiting
militants
from
local
Wazir
and
Dawar
tribes,
providing
bases
to
the
aforementioned
network
in
the
area,
and
offering
reserved
force
to
the
same
group
to
fight
against
Afghan
and
coalition
troops
inside
Afghanistan.
The report has been funded through a grant from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(NMFA). All views expressed are those of the authors.
On
the
other
hand,
the
TTP
and
its
foreign
associates
moved
against
the
promise
they
had
made
with
Hafiz
Gul
Bahadur
and
intensified
their
activities
in
North
Waziristan
and
used
the
area
as
a
base
for
terrorism
across
Pakistan.
The
dubious
character
of
the
TTP
compelled
the
government
to
launch
military
operation
in
the
area
on
June
15,
2014.
According
to
the
press
release
by
the
Inter
Services
Public
Relations
(ISPR)
-
the
media
wing
of
Pakistans
military
-
on
June
15,
2014,
the
armed
forces
of
Pakistan
launched
a
comprehensive
military
operation
against
foreign
and
local
terrorists
in
North
Waziristan
to
eliminate
them
regardless
of
hue
and
color
as
they
were
hiding
in
sanctuaries
in
the
area
and
had
waged
a
war
against
the
state.14
Although
Zarb-e-Azb
has
apparently
curtailed
the
incidents
of
terrorism
across
the
country
as
these
were
feared
after
the
military
offensive
in
North
Waziristan,
yet
the
assault
at
Army
Public
School
and
College
in
Peshawar
on
December
16,
2014
predicts
a
fresh
wave
of
terrorist
attacks.
As
many
as
141
people
including
132
students
and
9
staffers
were
massacred,
while
the
Spokesman
for
the
main
TTP,
Muhammad
Khurasani
accepted
responsibility
for
the
said
attack
and
the
outfit
claimed
that
the
massacre
was
justified.
On
the
next
day
of
attack,
the
Taliban
also
released
the
pictures
of
their
seven
fighters,
who
took
part
in
the
assault
and
killed
by
the
Pakistani
security
forces
on
the
spot.15
Militancy
in
North
Waziristan
With
entry
of
the
Tehrik-e-Taliban
Pakistan
(TTP)
in
North
Waziristan,
its
other
foreign
allied
militant
outfits
including
the
Islamic
Movement
of
Uzbekistan
(IMU)16,
the
East
Turkistan
Islamic
Movement
(ETIM)17
and
Jundullah18
also
took
sanctuaries
in
the
area.
The
tribal
rivalries
mainly
between
Wazir
and
Dawar
tribes
in
North
Waziristan
provided
a
strong
support
to
the
TTP
to
escalate
its
influence
in
the
area.
Gul
Bahadur
Group
is
chiefly
consisted
of
militants
from
Wazir
tribe
as
its
chieftain
hails
from
Uthmanzai
Wazir
tribe
and
he
has
been
losing
support
of
Dawars
due
to
tribal
rivalry
in
the
area.
The
TTP
exploited
the
tribal
rivalry
between
majority
Wazirs
and
minority
Dawars
in
the
area,
and
filled
that
gap
with
its
focus
on
the
same
area,
where
Dawar
tribe
provided
them
with
manpower.
Accordingly,
Dawar
tribe
provided
main
strength
to
the
TTP
to
counter
Wazirs
influence
in
the
area.
To
counter
growing
Hafiz
Gul
Bahadur
led
Waziri
Talibans
influence
in
North
Waziristan,
majority
of
Dawar
Mujahideen
affiliated
themselves
with
the
Tehrik-e-Taliban
(Pakistan),
said
a
local
TTP
commander
Jan
Alam
Dawar.19
Moreover,
the
TTP
intensified
their
militant
activities
in
the
area
creating
an
alarming
situation
for
the
Pakistani
government.
Pakistan
Army
issued
a
number
of
warnings
to
Gul
Bahadur
Group
regarding
the
presence
of
the
TTP
and
its
allies
in
North
Waziristan,
and
their
growing
influence
in
the
area,
but
then
that
was
beyond
the
latters
sway
to
oust
them
from
the
area.20
Resultantly,
Pakistan
launched
Operation
Zarb-e-Azb
in
North
Waziristan
mainly
in
Mirali,
Miramshah
and
Datta
Khel,
which
it
termed
as
a
military
action
against
the
militants
without
any
discrimination.
21
After the
commencement
of
military
operation,
Pakistani
mass
media
quoted
Army
Chief
General
Raheel
Sharif
by
saying
the
military
will
target
Hafiz
Gul
Bahadur
wherever
he
is
found.22
Assad
Hashim,
an
Islamabad
based
journalist,
who
primarily
covers
security
and
human
rights
related
issues
for
Al-Jazeera
English
said,
The
military
certainly
claims
that
it
is
going
after
militants
of
all
hues
and
colors,
but
the
fact
is
that
it
is
impossible
to
verify
this
claim,
because
access
to
the
area
is
tightly
controlled
by
the
same
military,
which
is
carrying
it
out.
However,
according
to
the
IDPs
of
North
Waziristan,
enough
warning
was
given
before
Operation
Zarb-e-Azb
in
order
to
provide
civilians
a
way
out,
with
which
the
TTP
fighters
also
began
to
leave
the
area.
Today,
Miramshah
and
Mirali
are
ghost
towns
-
as
are
the
surrounding
areas.23
Assad
Hashim
maintained,
Now
it
is
known
that
both
the
Haqqani
Network
and
Hafiz
Gul
Bahadur
operated
primarily
out
of
Datta
Khel.
In
recent
days,
we
have
known
more
news
from
the
military's
PR
wing,
and
thus
unverifiable
that
airstrikes
and
operations
are
being
carried
out
in
Datta
Khel,
amidst
reports
that
Hafiz
Gul
Bahadur
(historically
pro-government)
has
switched
sides.24
Militant
Factions
in
North
Waziristan
The
entry
of
the
Tehrik-e-Taliban
Pakistan
(TTP)
was
not
a
single
addition
to
the
militant
groups
in
North
Waziristan
as
its
allies
including
Punjabi
Taliban25
and
foreign
outfits
namely
the
Islamic
Movement
of
Uzbekistan
(IMU),
the
East
Turkistan
Islamic
Movement
(ETIM)
and
Jundullah,
also
took
refuge
in
the
area
after
the
consent
of
Hafiz
Gul
Bahadur
amid
Raah-e-Nijat
military
operation
in
South
Waziristan.
According
to
Safdar
Dawar,
things
went
wrong
when
the
TTP
started
bringing
foreign
fighters
specifically
the
IMU
militants
into
North
Waziristan
without
apprising
Hafiz
Gul
Bahadur.
Accordingly,
Hafiz
Gul
Bahadur
took
the
matter
during
the
joint
Shura
meetings
of
both
the
factions.
Till
that
time,
the
TTP
was
too
strong
to
seek
prior
permission
from
Gul
Bahadur
for
any
decision.26
Gul
Bahadur
Group
and
Haqqani
network
were
already
active
in
the
area.
The
density
of
Gul
Bahadur
Group
was
mainly
concentrating
in
Mirali,
Miramshah
and
Datta
Khel
areas
of
North
Waziristan.
Another
senior
journalist
from
North
Waziristan
Rasool
Dawar
perceives
the
reconciliatory
approach
of
Hafiz
Gul
Bahadur
gave
an
opportunity
to
the
cunning
TTP
to
strengthen
its
hold
in
Bahadurs
domain.
Before
Zarb-e-Azb,
main
concentration
centers
for
Hafiz
(Gul
Bahadur)
were
Mirali,
Miramshah,
Datta
Khel,
Danday
Darpa
Khel
and
Shawa,
but
currently,
they
have
shifted
their
density
to
Shawal,
Datta
Khel,
Spin
Wam
and
Kurram
Agency,
Rasool
Dawar
said.27
After
the
death
of
former
TTP
chief
Hakimullah
Mehsud
in
a
US
drone
strike
on
November
1,
2013
in
Danday
Darpa
Khel
area
of
North
Waziristan,
discordance
emerged
among
the
senior
leadership
of
the
militant
organization
over
the
issue
of
nomination
of
his
successor.
The
appointment
of
Mullah
Fazlullah
as
a
new
head
of
the
TTP
enraged
Commander
Khan
Said
alias
Sajna,
who
was
leading
Mehsud
Taliban,
an
influential
faction
of
the
TTP.
According
to
Rasool
Dawar,
the
growing
dispute
over
succession
of
Hakimullah
Mehsud
led
to
the
fragmentation
of
the
TTP.28
Split
within
TTP
The
death
of
Hakimullah
and
subsequent
events
including
Operation
Zarb-e-Azb
paved
the
way
for
fragmentation
of
the
Tehrik-e-Taliban
Pakistan
and
various
splinter
groups
emerged
in
the
militant
organization.
Following
are
the
breakaway
groups
of
the
TTP.
1- Main
TTP
Fazlullah
is
heading
the
main
TTP.
At
the
moment,
there
are
only
few
prominent
Taliban
commanders
left
with
Fazlullah.
But
there
is
understanding
between
the
main
TTP
led
by
Fazlullah
and
rest
of
the
newly
surfaced
defected
Taliban
factions
that
they
would
continue
cooperating
with
each
other
in
terms
of
planning
and
executing
attacks
across
Pakistan.
We
have
an
understanding
that
we
would
face
any
threat
collectively,
if
a
group
among
us
cannot
deal
with
it
separately,
a
Taliban
affiliated
with
Commander
Sajna
faction
said
on
the
condition
of
anonymity.29
It
came
forth
during
the
ongoing
military
offensive
in
Khyber
tribal
district
against
a
local
warlord
Mangal
Bagh
led
Lashkar-e-Islam.
Both
main
TTP
and
its
breakaway
group
Jamaat-e-Ahraar
vowed
to
support
Mangal
Bagh
against
Pakistan
security
forces.
In
this
critical
juncture,
the
Tehrik-e-Taliban
extends
its
full
support
to
Lashkar-e-Islam.
Dozens
of
our
fighters
have
already
reached
Khyber
Agency
to
fight
along
with
our
brother
against
the
army,
TTP
chief
Fazlullah
said
in
an
audio
message.30
2- Punjabi
Taliban
Punjabi
Taliban
is
a
splinter
group
of
the
TTP
led
by
Asmatullah
Muaviya.
Previously,
the
term
Punjabi
Taliban
was
used
for
all
non-Pashtun
Pakistani
militants,
mostly
from
Punjab
province
affiliated
with
the
TTP.
However,
the
split
occurred
when
discordance
emerged
between
Punjabi
Taliban
and
the
main
TTP
over
the
continuation
of
militant
activities
inside
Pakistan.
After
consulting
with
Ulema
(religious
scholars)
and
keeping
in
view
the
current
situation
in
Pakistan,
Punjabi
Taliban
is
going
to
end
its
armed
resistance
within
Pakistan
and
would
limit
it
to
infidel
forces
across
the
border
in
Afghanistan,
Asmatullah
Muaviya
said
in
a
video
message.31
3- Commander
Sajna
Faction
Khan
Said
Mehsud
alias
Commander
Sajna
was
the
first
prominent
TTP
commander,
who
parted
ways
with
Fazlullah
led
TTP
over
the
latters
alleged
support
to
Sajnas
main
rival
Commander
Shehryar
Mehsud
in
May,
2014.
Sajna
faction
described
abductions
for
ransom,
killings,
raising
extortion
money,
damaging
public
properties,
etc.
as
Un-
Islamic
activities
being
practiced
by
Fazlullah
led
TTP.
Sajna
Group
tried
to
reform
the
Tehrik-e-Taliban;
however,
we
failed
despite
our
several
attempts.
Thus
Mehsud
Taliban
led
by
Sajna
have
decided
to
part
ways
with
Fazlullah
led
Taliban,
Commander
Sajna
factions
spokesman
Azam
Tariq
said.32
But
sources
within
Mehsud
Taliban
described
Fazlullahs
covert
support
to
Shehryar
Mehsud
against
Sajna
was
the
real
motive
behind
the
split.
Commander
Sajna
has
long
been
asking
Fazlullah
to
stop
aiding
Shehryar
against
him.
He
even
delivered
messages
to
Fazlullah
through
Gul
Bahadur
and
Khalifa
(Sirajuddin
Haqqani)
to
stop
bringing
division
within
Mehsud
Taliban
by
supporting
Shehryar,
but
Fazlullah
failed
to
do
so,
a
leading
Mehsud
Taliban
commander
said
on
condition
of
not
to
be
named.33
This
infighting
between
two
leading
Mehsud
commanders
cost
dearly
for
the
Taliban
and
resulted
in
killing
of
dozens
of
their
fighters.
But
recently
Fazlullah
has
sorted
out
the
differences
between
commander
Sajna
and
Shehryar
in
a
week
long
Jirga,
which
took
place
in
an
undisclosed
location
in
Pakistani
tribal
area.
In
a
recent
interview,
Azam
Tariq,
a
spokesman
for
Sajna
faction
also
confirmed
that
the
dispute
with
Maulana
Fazlullah
had
now
sorted
out.
We
dont
have
any
dispute
with
Maulana
Fazlullah
anymore.
But
we
still
holds
our
own
independent
organizational
structure,
Azam
Tariq
said.34
4- Tehrik-e-Taliban
Jamaat-ul-Ahraar
Second
major
split
occurred
within
the
TTP
in
August,
2014,
when
a
group
of
senior
TTP
commanders
announced
formation
of
a
new
faction,
Tehrik-e-Taliban
Jamaat-ul-
Ahraar.
This
new
faction
is
consisted
of
Omer
Khalid
Khurasani
-
former
TTP
head
for
Mohmand
tribal
district,
Qari
Shakeel-former
member
of
TTP
central
Shura,
Sajjad
Mohmand
alias
Ehsanullah
Ehsan
-
former
central
spokesman
of
the
TTP,
etc.
This
new
faction
is
led
by
Mualana
Qasim
Khurasani,
who
was
previously
TTP
chief
for
Malakand
region.
Jamaat-ul-Ahraar
defected
from
the
TTP
over
growing
indiscipline,
infighting
and
lack
of
coordination
within
the
TTP.35
Ehsanullah
Ehsan,
spokesman
for
the
TTP-Jamaat-ul-
Ahraar,
claimed
that
the
new
group
had
become
the
real
T.T.P.
and
would
refuse
to
take
orders
from
Mullah
Fazlullah.36
5- Sheikh
Maqbool
Group
Sheikh
Maqbool
aka
Shahidullah
Shahid,
ex-spokesman
of
the
main
TTP,
along
with
leading
five
regional
commanders
from
various
tribal
districts
recently
pledged
allegiance
to
ISIS
chief
Abu-Bakr
Al-Baghdadi.
I
pledge
allegiance
to
the
Caliph
of
Muslims,
Abu-Bakr
Al-Baghdadi
and
will
follow
his
orders
and
instructions,
Shahidullah
Shahid
said
in
an
email
sent
to
media
outlets.37
Soon
after
the
announcement,
the
main
TTP
sent
an
email
to
the
author
claiming
that
Sheikh
Maqbool
had
been
removed
as
TTP
main
spokesman
before
his
announcement
of
joining
the
ISIS.
Shahidullah
Shahid
is
an
imaginary
name,
which
is
used
by
a
person,
who
becomes
the
spokesman
of
the
TTP
Central.
Sheikh
Maqbool
has
also
been
the
spokesman
of
the
TTP
Central;
therefore,
he
was
called
Shahidullah
Shahid.
Long
ago,
another
brother
had
replaced
Sheikh
Maqbool
and
was
promoted
to
the
spokesman
of
the
TTP
(means,
he
became
Shahidullah
Shahid).
We
did
not
announce
that
due
to
our
policy.
But
Sheikh
Maqbool
used
this
name
(Shahidullah
Shahid)
for
his
individual
purpose.
We
want
to
make
it
clear
that
Sheikh
Maqbool
is
not
Shahidullah
Shahid
(He's
not
our
Spokesman
anymore).
As
for
as
the
Baiya
(pledge
of
allegiance)
to
the
ISIS
is
concerned,
Emir
of
the
TTP
Central,
Mullah
Fazlullah
has
already
made
it
clear
that
our
Baiya
is
to
Emir
al-Momineen
Mullah
Muhammad
Omar38.
Lastly,
we
will
soon
announce
the
name
of
our
new
Spokesman",
the
email
says. 39
Now
the
TTP
has
announced
Muhammad
Khurasani
as
its
new
spokesman
replacing
Sheikh
Maqbool
aka
Shahidullah
Shahid
on
November
08,
2014.40
ISIS
and
Pakistani
Taliban
So
far
among
Pakistani
Taliban,
only
Shahidullah
Shahid
has
formally
linked
his
group
with
the
ISIS.
Rest
of
Pakistani
Taliban
factions
have
distanced
themselves
from
the
ISIS
and
stressed
that
their
allegiance
is
only
to
Mullah
Omar.
But
also
none
of
Pakistani
Taliban
groups
have
criticized
the
ISIS
despite
the
fact
that
the
latters
chief
Abu-Bakr
directly
challenged
the
ideological
position
and
authority
of
Mullah
Omar
and
Al-Qaeda
by
declaring
himself
as
Caliph
and
leader
of
the
faithful.
We
have
a
support
of
a
huge
number
of
mujahedeen
across
Pakistan
and
soon
we
will
decide
how
to
assist
our
brother
of
the
Islamic
State
in
Iraq
Syria,
Muhammad
Abu
Zar
Khurassani,
a
prominent
commander
of
the
Sheik
Maqbool
faction,
said.41
The
common
Taliban
are
questioning
the
presence
of
Mullah
Omar,
whether
his
alive
or
not.
They
argue
that
how
they
can
follow
a
leader
whose
presence
is
difficult
to
ascertain
since
a
decade,
a
senior
Taliban
commander,
Maulvi
Ahmad
Hassan
said.42
A
senior
Islamabad
based
security
official,
who
monitors
militant
activities
across
Pakistan
said,
Well,
so
far
nothing
serious
to
worry
about,
but
the
TTP
is
a
natural
partner
of
the
ISIS
in
Pakistan.
So
far
the
ISIS
has
only
symbolic
presence
in
different
parts
of
Pakistan
by
pasting
posters
in
major
cities.
However,
law
enforcement
agencies
are
taking
all
appropriate
measures
to
counter
it.43
Operation
Zarb-e-Azb
Pre-operation
Security
Situation
and
Local
Opinion
Pakistani
Tribal
society
is
religiously
and
culturally
a
conservative
one
providing
ideal
ground
to
Islamist
militants
to
further
their
activities
and
sway.
Common
tribesmen
were
already
attached
to
religious
obligations
and
tribal
traditions.
Therefore,
the
Taliban
had
not
affected
them
with
novel
restrictions.
Meanwhile,
Hafiz
Gul
Bahadur
led
faction
had
already
obliged
the
TTP,
the
most
radical
faction,
by
giving
them
refuge
on
a
condition
of
non-interference
in
the
local
tribesmens
affairs
by
any
means.
However,
the
presence
of
myriad
militant
factions,
both
local
and
foreign
in
North
Waziristan,
caught
the
local
tribesmen
in
constant
feeling
of
insecurity.
Taliban
activities
and
counter
actions
of
Pakistani
security
forces
and
consistent
drone
strikes
by
the
US
in
the
region
kept
on
traumatizing
the
dwellers
with
acute
uncertainty.
The
militants
were
involved
in
abduction
and
killing
of
the
locals
either
under
spying
charges
or
demanding
extortion
money.
Though
we
did
not
flee
the
area,
but
we
were
living
under
constant
fear
of
possible
abduction
or
paying
extortion
money
to
the
Taliban.
For
tribal
elders,
its
imperative
to
maintain
cordial
relations
with
the
government
officials
deputed
in
the
area
to
resolve
10
local
disputes.
Some
of
my
fellow
tribal
elders
were
abducted
and
later
they
were
released
after
paying
huge
ransom,
some
of
them
were
asked
by
the
Taliban
to
leave
the
area
or
they
would
face
dire
consequences,
a
prominent
tribal
elder
said
on
the
condition
not
to
be
mentioned.44
On
the
other
hand,
the
security
forces
used
to
impose
days-long
curfew
in
the
area
restricting
the
movement
of
the
locals
to
their
houses.
They
were
not
even
allowed
to
shift
their
patients
to
hospitals.
The
Army
also
used
to
carry
out
unannounced
and
indiscriminate
shelling
and
aerial
raids
against
Taliban
hideouts
in
civilian
populated
parts
of
North
Waziristan
which
often
resulted
in
civilian
deaths
and
property
destruction.
The
government
writ
could
only
be
observed
in
the
area
during
the
curfew.45
When
proposed
peace
talks
failed
with
the
TTP,
Pakistani
Army
felt
the
need
of
military
operation
in
North
Waziristan
as
the
militants
were
controlling
the
entire
area
and
using
it
as
a
launching
pad
to
orchestrate
attacks
across
the
country.
The
civilian
administration,
locally
called
as
Political
Administration,
was
restricted
to
its
offices,
while
the
security
forces
were
confined
to
their
forts,
barracks
and
check
posts.
They
could
not
even
move
freely
in
the
area
without
imposing
curfew,
while
militants
hailing
from
myriad
factions
were
roaming
freely
in
the
area
and
crisscrossing
the
security
check
posts
all
the
day
long.
Militants
held
sway
in
the
area
and
people
were
referring
them
their
long-hauled
inter-tribal
and
intra-tribal
disputes
as
their
self-imposed
laws
were
providing
speedy
and
cheap
resolution.46
Due
to
the
aforementioned
situation,
traders,
tribal
Maliks
and
other
politically
influential
tribesmen
had
left
the
area
before
the
commencement
of
Operation
Zarb-e-
Azb.
Influential,
affluent
and
pro-government
tribesmen
in
the
area
were
under
constant
threat.
They
were
asked
for
extortion
money.
They
had
to
stay
away
from
meeting
the
government
officials
as
they
could
face
spying
charges
for
the
government
against
the
Taliban.
A
local
medical
store
owner
Muhammad
Din
Dawar,
a
resident
of
Mirali,
the
second
largest
town
of
North
Waziristan,
described
life
under
Taliban,
We
were
never
11
intimidated
by
the
Taliban.
My
medicine
business
was
running
smoothly
without
being
jeopardized
by
their
activities.
I
was
also
exporting
medicine
to
Afghanistan
and
raising
handsome
money.
But
military
operation
destroyed
everything
and
now
I
am
taking
loans
to
meet
both
ends.47
Commencement
of
Zarb-e-Azb
Pakistan
army
had
long
baulked
at
launching
military
operation
in
North
Waziristn;
The
Army
was
overstretched
due
to
its
engagements
on
multiple
fronts
including
offensives
in
Swat,
South
Waziristan
and
Khyber
Agency
against
the
militants,
dealing
subsequently
with
the
flow
of
the
IDPs,
non-conducive
environment
for
military
action
across
the
country
and
furthermore,
the
then
Army
chief
General
Ashfaq
Pervez
Kayani
did
not
want
to
give
the
impression
that
the
operation
in
North
Waziristan
was
launched
under
American
pressure.
We
were
finding
it
more
difficult
to
decide
on
deploying
troops
(in
North
Waziristan
for
a
full-fledged
military
operation)
as
it
would
have
given
an
impression
that
it
was
done
under
the
US
pressure,
former
DG
ISPR
Athar
Abbas
outlined
the
factors
behind
delaying
the
offensive
in
North
Waziristan.48
Moreover,
Pak-US
acrimony
and
trust
deficit
were
running
high
due
to
Salala
post
attack
on
Pak-Afghan
border
in
Mohmand
tribal
region
on
November
26,
2011,
which
left
24
Pakistani
security
personnel
killed.
Meanwhile,
a
unilateral
pre-dawn
raid
by
US
Special
Forces
in
Abbottabad
to
kill
Osama
Bin
Laden
on
May
2,
2011
further
scarred
the
relationship
between
the
two
allies.
However,
this
time
military
operations
in
the
other
areas
have
been
concluded
and
previously
fraught
Pak-US
relations
have
getting
gradually
improving
after
new
political
and
military
leadership
of
Pakistan
has
taken
the
charge.
Strategically,
it
had
become
imperative
for
Pak
Army
to
flush
out
militants
from
their
last
sanctuary
in
North
Waziristan
which
had
become
a
main
concentration
point
for
militants
after
being
driven
out
from
other
tribal
areas
in
the
wake
of
several
military
operations.
Otherwise,
militants
may
have
resurfaced
in
other
areas
culminating
the
success
made
by
the
Army.
The
gains
Pakistan
Army
had
made
against
the
Taliban
would
have
been
at
risk,
if
the
military
operation
were
not
launched
in
North
Waziristan
as
militants
were
gradually
sneaking
into
previously
cleared
areas,
said
Islamabad
12
based
senior
journalist
Omar
Farooq. 49
Secondly,
almost
every
terrorist
act
inside
Pakistan
was
linked
to
North
Waziristan
by
Law
Enforcement
Agencies
(LEA).
Therefore,
Pak
Army
considered
it
necessary
to
launch
comprehensive
and
punishing
military
operation
to
contain
and
dismantle
militants
in
North
Waziristan.
Subsequent
Events
After
the
commencement
of
Operation
Zarb-e-Azb
in
North
Waziristan,
exodus
of
over
a
million
tribesmen
took
place.
Security
forces
succeeded
in
clearing
two
major
towns
of
North
Waziristan,
Mirali
and
Miramshah
in
a
couple
of
weeks
by
applying
massive
aerial
strikes.
Accordingly,
the
militants
moved
to
other
areas
of
North
Waziristan,
adjacent
tribal
districts
and
across
the
border
to
Afghanistan
to
evade
military
operation.
In
North
Waziristan,
the
main
sheltering
areas
for
the
militants
are
Datta
Khel,
Shawal
valley
and
the
bordering
area
with
Afghanistan.
Amid
the
military
operation,
artillery
shelling
and
aerial
strikes
besides
US
drone
attacks
are
continuing
against
the
militants
in
the
area.
Analysts
believe
that
the
consistent
US
drone
attacks
alongside
military
operation
in
North
Waziristan
cannot
be
possible
without
Pakistani
authorities
collaboration.
It
would
certainly
be
highly
unlikely
for
the
US
to
be
carrying
out
drone
strikes
in
an
active
Pakistan
Army-controlled
conflict
zone
without
at
least
cursorily
letting
them
know
who
was
being
targeted,
when
and
where,
Islamabad
based
security
and
human
rights
analyst
Assad
Hashim
said.50
US
Drone
strikes
had
dried
up
for
several
months
before
the
operation,
but
the
attacks
got
intensified
with
the
commencement
of
Zarb-e-Azb
as
at
least
14
strikes
have
taken
place
in
North
Waziristan
until
December
10
2014.51
New
Sanctuaries
of
Militants
Though
Pakistan
army
is
reiterating
that
this
operation
is
against
all
militants
factions
without
any
discrimination52,
yet
recently
Sartaj
Aziz,
Advisor
to
the
Prime
Minister
on
National
Security
and
Foreign
Affairs
uttered
the
conventional
approach
of
Pakistani
establishment
of
maintaining
discrimination
between
Good
and
Bad
Taliban
during
an
interview
to
the
BBC-Urdu.
When
the
United
States
attacked
Afghanistan
[in
2001],
all
those
groups
who
we
had
collectively
armed
and
trained
were
pushed
into
Pakistan.
13
Some
of
them
are
a
threat
to
Pakistan,
while
others
pose
no
threat
to
Pakistans
security.
Why
should
we
antagonize
them
all?
Sartaj
Aziz
maintained.53
The
military
operation
was
aimed
to
flush
out
the
militants
from
the
area,
but
the
Taliban
were
already
aware
of
the
possible
offensive
in
the
area
and
were
seen
vacating
the
area.
It
was
also
confirmed
by
the
local
residents
of
Miramshah
and
Mirali.
Just
a
few
days
before
the
operation,
we
were
observing
decreasing
Taliban
movements
in
Mirali
and
Miramshah
Bazaar.
Their
number
was
getting
lessened
with
each
passing
movement.
In
Miramshah,
I
personally
saw
some
Taliban
packing
their
goods
and
loading
vehicles.
And
those
Taliban
had
been
living
there
for
past
five
years,
Haji
Noor
Khan
Wazir,
a
tribal
elder
from
Miramshah
said.54
A
leading
TTP
commander
also
said
on
the
condition
of
not
to
be
named,
We
had
already
lessened
our
presence
in
Miramshah
and
Mirali
almost
a
week
before
the
operation.
When
operation
was
formally
announced,
we
asked
the
remaining
Mujahideen
to
leave
the
area
as
security
forces
were
carrying
out
ruthless
air
strikes.
But
in
rest
of
North
Waziristan,
our
brothers
are
still
present
and
conducting
Jihad.55
A
leading
TTP
commander
from
South
Waziristan,
Abu
Omar
said,
We
have
shifted
our
setup
to
South
Waziristan,
both
to
Mehsud
and
Wazir
areas,
in
the
wake
of
the
(military)
operation.
Initially,
it
(Operation
Zarb-e-Azb)
was
a
setback,
disrupting
our
activities
in
North
Waziristan,
but
now
we
are
getting
recovered
and
soon
we
will
be
operational
like
before.56
The
abovementioned
claim
seems
to
have
vindicated
by
the
Peshawar
massacre,
which
left
141
people
including
132
children
dead.57
Terrorists
came
from
back
of
the
school
and
auditorium.
They
killed
children
in
auditorium
through
firing.
132
children
and
nine
staff
members
embraced
Shahadat
(martyrdom)
at
that
time.
QRF
(Quick
Response
Force)
reached
in
15
minutes.
Total
strength
of
the
children
was
1100.
Out
of
which,
960
children
were
rescued
from
the
school
and
121
children
injured.
The
SSG
completed
the
operation.
One
terrorist
was
killed
at
the
auditorium
and
the
rest
at
the
administrative
block.
The
IED
material
was
neutralized.
In
the
operation,
seven
SSG
jawans
(soldiers)
and
two
officers
were
injured,
a
security
official
said.58
14
After
launching
a
much-hyped
military
operation
in
North
Waziristan,
majority
of
the
militants
left
for
the
adjacent
tribal
areas
or
across
the
border
into
Afghanistan.
Pakistani
military
has
also
an
eye
on
the
new
sanctuaries
of
the
Taliban,
where
they
can
regain
strength
to
launch
terror
attacks.
Therefore,
Chief
of
Army
Staff
General
Raheel
Sharif
visited
Afghanistan
on
December
17,
2014
and
held
separate
meetings
with
Afghan
President
Ashraf
Ghani
and
ISAF
commander
General
John
F
Campbell.
According
to
ISPR
Press
Release,
the
Army
Chief
discussed
security
situation
at
Pak-
Afghan
border
and
shared
vital
elements
of
intelligence
related
to
Peshawar
incident
with
the
concerned
authorities.59
Other
local
accounts
plainly
indicate
that
militants
affiliated
with
Haqqani
Network
were
not
targeted
and
they
were
discreetly
given
a
safe
passage
to
flee
the
area
for
adjacent
Kurram
tribal
area.
Javed
Hussain
Bangash,
a
resident
of
Kurram
Agency
said,
We
have
been
seeing
growing
number
of
Afghan
Taliban
affiliated
with
Haqqani
Network
in
different
parts
of
Kurram
Agency
since
military
operation
in
North
Waziristan.
They
are
operating
here
under
government
immunity
as
they
are
travelling
to
Afghanistan
without
being
stopped
or
questioned
on
dozens
of
military
check
posts
on
main
road
leading
to
Afghan
border.60
On
the
other
hand,
Haqqani
Network
and
its
local
ally
Hafiz
Gul
Bahadur
Group
fled
to
Afghanistan
and
Kurram
Agency.
The
Tehrik-e-Taliban
Pakistan,
Islamic
Movement
of
Uzbekistan
and
other
allied
outfits
fled
from
Mirali
and
Miramshah
and
took
refuge
in
other
nearby
areas
like
Datta
Khel
and
Shawal
inside
North
Waziristan
besides
fleeing
to
the
other
tribal
areas
like
South
Waziristan
Agency,
Khyber
Agency,
Mohmand
Agency
and
upper
parts
of
Orakzai
Agency.
The
governments
claim
of
no
discrimination
among
militant
groups61
might
be
based
on
its
sincere
efforts
to
dismantle
militancy
completely,
but
Javed
Bangash,
the
local
of
Kurram
Agency
still
rebutted
it
by
saying,
To
us,
it
clearly
shows
that
there
is
still
discrimination
between
Good
and
Bad
Taliban.
Our
elders
have
conveyed
their
concerns
multiple
times
to
both
civilian
and
military
authorities
to
secure
the
area
from
becoming
another
North
Waziristan
for
the
Taliban.62
15
Armys
Strategy
versus
Talibans
Tactics
Pak
Armys
strategy
is
based
on
dismantling
and
wiping
out
the
militants
to
restore
government
writ
in
North
Waziristan.
Along
with
the
use
of
force,
efforts
are
underway
to
strike
peace
pacts
with
some
of
the
splinter
groups
of
the
TTP.
In
this
regard,
Mehsud
tribe
Jirga
has
been
holding
meetings
with
government
on
behalf
of
Mehsud
Taliban
led
by
commander
Sajna
to
pave
the
way
for
a
possible
peace
deal.
Actually,
Sajna
faction
is
concerned
about
the
plight
of
Mehsud
displaced
persons
in
the
wake
of
2009
military
operation
in
Mehsud
inhabited
part
of
South
Waziristan.
Since
then
Mehsud
tribe
is
displaced
and
living
under
miserable
conditions
in
different
parts
of
the
country.
For
peace
talks
with
government,
rehabilitation
of
Mehsud
tribe
would
be
the
top
priority
from
our
side.
We
understand
that
Mehsud
tribe
has
been
suffering
a
lot
due
to
military
operation
since
2009,
Abu
Omer,
a
militant
commander
linked
with
Sajna
faction
said.63
As
a
confidence
building
measure,
the
government
has
already
released
seven
Mehsud
Taliban
from
prison
in
Wana,
South
Waziristan
and
handed
over
to
the
Jirga.64
On
ideological
front,
the
long-hauled
stance
of
Pakistani
Taliban
to
fight
against
Pakistan
Army
for
being
a
frontline
ally
in
war
on
terror
is
vanishing
as
the
US
led
international
coalition
is
also
withdrawing
its
troops
from
Afghanistan.
Furthermore,
Punjabi
Taliban
led
by
Asmatullah
Muaviya
has
already
announced
to
end
militant
activities
in
Pakistan.
Besides
this,
Pakistani
military
is
mainly
relying
on
air
power
throughout
the
operation
to
dismantle
the
Taliban
in
North
Waziristan
which
mostly
result
in
infrastructure
destruction
i.e.
houses,
markets,
roads,
schools,
health
units,
etc.
As
per
a
senior
military
official
account,
Pakistani
military
is
applying
three-pronged
strategy
in
the
ongoing
military
operation.
In
first
phase,
we
carry
out
aerial
strikes
and
artillery
shelling
to
soften
up
the
target.
In
second
phase,
we
deploy
our
ground
forces
to
physically
capture
the
target
area.
Then
we
conduct
search
operation
to
clear
the
area
from
possible
IEDs
and
to
confiscate
militants
leftovers.
This
strategy
has
been
very
successful
since
Swat
operation
in
2009,
a
senior
security
official
described
it
on
condition
of
anonymity.65
16
On
the
other
hand,
the
Taliban
are
using
tactics
of
IEDs
attacks
and
target
killings.
However,
significant
decrease
has
been
seen
in
the
number
of
suicide
attacks,
armed
assaults
and
ambushes
on
government
installations
since
the
commencement
of
Zarb-e-
Azb.
The
decrease
in
attacks
manifests
that
militants
are
on
the
run.
They
are
striving
to
find
new
sanctuaries
and
establish
command
and
control
centers.
So
far
Zarb-e-Azb
seems
to
have
inflicted
fatal
blow
on
militants
capabilities
to
carry
out
major
attacks,
senior
journalist
Omar
Farooq
said.66
Pakistani
security
forces
also
claim
to
have
seized
a
huge
cache
of
arms
and
ammunition,
propaganda
stuff,
laptops,
cameras,
etc.
during
the
operation
in
Miramshah
and
Mirali.
However,
the
Taliban
are
persistently
denying
the
governments
claims.
In
this
regard,
TTP
Jamaat-ul-Ahraars
spokesman
Ehsanullah
Ehsan
sent
an
email
to
media
persons,
which
reads,
These
report
are
almost
wrong.
Before
operation,
99
percent
of
Mujahideen
goods
have
been
shifted
to
safe
areas.
We
ourselves
shifted
everything
except
lights
and
water
drums,
and
there
was
a
long
chance
for
everybody
to
leave
the
area
before
the
operation.67
Conclusion
People
of
the
tribal
area
have
been
failed
by
the
Pakistani
government
since
1947,
both
actively
and
passively,
through
its
inaction
and
inability
to
deliver
government
services
and
its
insistence
on
upholding
the
colonial
era
draconian
law,
the
Frontier
Crimes
Regulations
(FCR)68.
Ironically,
the
Federally
Administered
Tribal
Area
(FATA)
has
been
kept
isolated
from
mainstream
Pakistan
politically,
administratively
and
constitutionally.
Decades
of
isolation
and
abandonment
of
FATA
from
the
state
provide
an
ample
opportunity
to
the
non-state
actors
to
extend
their
sway.
Once,
this
militancy
was
primarily
state-sponsored,
but
that
is
no
longer
entirely
the
case.
But
these
militants
can
only
survive
in
FATA
particularly
North
Waziristan,
because
these
areas
are
allowed
by
the
governments
ineffectiveness
to
exist
as
grey
areas,
outside
of
its
responsibility
and
reach.
Operation
Zarb-e-Azb
may
have
succeeded
in
driving
certain
kinds
of
militant
groups
out,
denying
them
the
space
to
operate,
but
if
these
gains
are
to
be
solidified
and
made
meaningful,
then
the
government
will
have
to
go
further
than
the
strategy
seen
in
South
17
Waziristan
and
other
tribal
agencies.
Despite
the
fact
that
the
military
operation
in
North
Waziristan
curtailed
terrorist
incidents
up
to
some
extent,
but
the
recent
Peshawar
assault
by
the
Fazlullah-led
TTP,
as
per
its
claim,
predicts
further
bloody
reaction
by
the
terror
outfit.
Therefore,
the
government
is
required
to
adopt
some
drastic
changes
in
its
approach
in
dealing
with
the
tribal
belt
to
restrain
the
area
from
cherishing
further
militancy
due
to
the
current
flawed
administrative
setup.
FATA
must
be
brought
into
the
fold
of
Pakistan's
constitution
-
the
political
agent
system
of
using
nominated
members
to
enforce
state
power
must
be
ended.
Government
service
delivery
must
be
stepped
up
in
the
most
basic
of
areas:
education,
health,
water,
power,
sanitation
and
communications.
These
are
not
the
ideas
of
a
journalist
or
an
outsider,
but
this
is
precisely
what
every
single
resident
of
FATA
demands.
The
dwellers
of
North
Waziristan
feel
trapped
between
the
Taliban
and
other
militant
groups
on
one
side,
and
the
Pakistan
Army
and
the
political
agent
on
the
other.
They
have
no
control
over
their
own
destiny,
and
merely
seek
to
survive
in
an
environment
where
the
government's
default
attitude
towards
them
appears
to
treat
them
as
terrorists,
and
the
terrorists'
default
attitude
towards
them
is
to
treat
them
as
either
sinners,
or
new
recruits.
18
End
Notes
1
Zarb-e-Azb is a code name for Pakistan Armys military operation against militants in North Waziristan, which
has been launched on June 15, 2014
2
Hafiz Gul Bahadur is head of his own faction of the militants, which is often counted among Good Taliban,
mainly operating in North Waziristan
3
Making Peace with Pakistani Taliban to Isolate Al-Qaeda: Successes and Failures by Rohan Gunaratna and
Syed Adnan Ali Shah Bukhari, published in 2008, retrieved on December 6, 2014 from
www.pvtr.org/pdf/globalanalysis/makingpeacewiththetaliban.pdf
4
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is an umbrella organization of Islamic militants that was formed in
December 2007 by Baitullah Mehsud while uniting 13 militant groups
5
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan foreign affiliates included Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), the East
Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and Jundullah
6
Rah-e-Nijat is the first full-fledged military operation against the TTP in Mehsud area of South Waziristan,
which began on June 19, 2009 and ended on December 12, 2009
7
Abu Yahiya Al Libi was killed in US drone strike on June 4, 2012
8
Mullah Sangeen Zadran was killed in US drone strike on September 5, 2013
9
Growing Rifts between North Waziristan Taliban and TTP: A Precursor to Taliban Infighting? published on
April 24, 2012, retrieved on December 6, 2014 from http://www.gctat.org/fr/map-your-mind/198growing-rifts-between-north-waziristan-taliban-and-ttp-a-precursor-to-taliban-infighting.html
10
Mullah Nazir was head of his own faction of Waziri Taliban in Wana area of South Waziristan, who was
killed in US drone strike in January 2, 2013 in Angoor Adda near Wana
11
The Haqqani Network and the Threat to Afghanistan by Jeffrey Dressler, retrieved on December 8, 2014
from https://www.understandingwar.org/otherwork/haqqani-network-and-threat-afghanistan
12
Tribal Union of Journalists (TUJ) is a representative body of journalists from the tribal areas of Pakistan
13
Interview with Safdar Dawar in Peshawar, who is a Reporter at Wall Street Journal and hails from North
Waziristan
14
ISPR Press Release No PR124/2014-ISPR published on June 15, 2014 as retrieved on December 8, 2014 from
https://www.ispr.gov.pk/front/main.asp?o=t-press_release&date=2014/6/15#pr_link2574
15
Report by The Independent, published on December 17, 2014 as retrieved on December 18, 2014 from
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/peshawar-school-attack-taliban-release-images-ofgunmen-who-killed-148-as-they-claim-massacre-was-justified-and-warn-of-further-violence9930805.html
16
The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) is a militant group formed by Uzbek Islamists Tahir Yuldashev
and Juma Namangani in 1998
17
The East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is an Islamic separatist group founded by Uyghur militants in
western China
18
Jundullah is a militant outfit that has closed links with Al-Qaeda and Pakistan Taliban
19
Interview with a local TTP Commander Jan Alam in Mirali in 2014
20
Growing Rifts Between North Waziristan Taliban and TTP: A Precursor to Taliban Infighting?, published
on April 23, 2012, retrieved on December 8, 2014 from http://www.gctat.org/fr/map-your-mind/198growing-rifts-between-north-waziristan-taliban-and-ttp-a-precursor-to-taliban-infighting.html
21
Supra Note 15
22
Pakistani electronic media quoted Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif to tell about the military
operation in North Waziristan that it was without any discrimination in militants
23
Interview with Islamabad based Security and Human Rights Analyst Assad Hashim, who works as
correspondent for Al-Jazeera English
24
Ibid
25
The militants affiliated with Sunni extremist sectarian outfits as well as militant groups that are fighting in
Indian Kashmir are collectively called Punjabi Taliban
26
Supra Note 14
27
Interview with Rasool Dawar in Bannu - He is a tribal journalist hailing from North Waziristan and currently
associated with Geo News and Associated Press (AP)
28
Ibid
29
Interview with a Taliban commander of Commander Sajna faction in Wana area of South Waziristan in late
September 2014
30
Official propaganda wing of the TTP, Omar Media released the audio message of the group chief Mullah
Fazlullah last month
19
31
20
68
The FCR is a set of laws applicable to FATA, which was implemented during the British rule in 1901
21