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Saudi donors most signifcant source of terrorism funding in Pakistan

The key problem here is Takfir, which has become central to Salafi, Wahabi and Deobandi ideologies.
Takfir is in no way central to any of those ideologies. It is not even a part of it. Idiots like Abdul Aziz just try to make it part of it for their political interests.
If you can remove it from your faith and live your life and let others have their lives then no body cares if you are a Wahabi or Brelvi.
Exactly what I've been saying for a long time now. Why even differentiate between sects - why not just call them 'takfiris', why do you even have to call them 'Salafi takfiris' or 'Deobandi takfiris', why not just call them extremist takfiris?

The only way to get rid of extremism is through proper and regulated religious education, coupled with strict laws to prevent hate-speech, extremism-speech, sectarianism and all kinds of instigation. Display images of martyred children next to verses from the Quran that condemn such acts, and show the contrast between extremists and Islam - this should be done in universities, colleges and especially places like Lal Masjid.

All Imams should, during Jumaa khutbas and other religious gatherings, condemn terrorism and do so with verses from the Quran and hadith. Destroy the terrorists' lies about them 'spreading Sharia', destroy their 'ideology of Takfir', destroy it through information. Decimate their support base. Annihilate their ideology, they already shiver before being hanged because they know how wrong they are - they should shiver every moment of their pathetic lives.
Like that, eventually, they'll be eradicated entirely.

Sectarianism is the antithesis of that - it divides us, not them. It destroys us, not the extremists.
 
Takfir is in no way central to any of those ideologies. It is not even a part of it. Idiots like Abdul Aziz just try to make it part of it for their political interests.

Exactly what I've been saying for a long time now. Why even differentiate between sects - why not just call them 'takfiris', why do you even have to call them 'Salafi takfiris' or 'Deobandi takfiris', why not just call them extremist takfiris?

The only way to get rid of extremism is through proper and regulated religious education, coupled with strict laws to prevent hate-speech, extremism-speech, sectarianism and all kinds of instigation. Display images of martyred children next to verses from the Quran that condemn such acts, and show the contrast between extremists and Islam - this should be done in universities, colleges and especially places like Lal Masjid.

All Imams should, during Jumaa khutbas and other religious gatherings, condemn terrorism and do so with verses from the Quran and hadith. Destroy the terrorists' lies about them 'spreading Sharia', destroy their 'ideology of Takfir', destroy it through information. Decimate their support base. Annihilate their ideology, they already shiver before being hanged because they know how wrong they are - they should shiver every moment of their pathetic lives.
Like that, eventually, they'll be eradicated entirely.

Sectarianism is the antithesis of that - it divides us, not them. It destroys us, not the extremists.

Then by all means do. The fact though is, completely opposite from what you have written. Take the example of Pakistan itself. Have the Deobandi, Salafi and Wahabi "Ulama" come out and declared Brelvis, Shia, Ismailis and others as their brothers in faith? Have they undonditionally condemned the SSP, LEJ and others who have killed thousands upon thousands in Pakistan? The answer is No. They have been inflaming the situation. They want to hijack Pakistan and then by extension the entire world through Takfir. Your words have no meaning unless confirming action can be seen in the deeds of your Mullahs.
 
Have the Deobandi, Salafi and Wahabi "Ulama" come out and declared Brelvis, Shia, Ismailis and others as their brothers in faith? Have they undonditionally condemned the SSP, LEJ and others who have killed thousands upon thousands in Pakistan?
Firstly, yes, they have.
20,000 scholars term terrorism un-Islamic: Declaration issued at Darul-Uloom Deoband - Newspaper - DAWN.COM
Another Islamic group denounces terrorism - The Times of India
Salafi/Ahle Hadees in Pakistan protest against JuD/LeT
Ahl-e-Hadith Muslims reject Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD)
Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees Hind

Secondly, even if they didn't, the whole point of Salafism is that you don't have to identify with any mullahs or ulema- you can interpret the Quran and Hadith yourself. I don't even call myself a Salafi, I refuse to do so. But that is what makes me a Salafi. Do you not see how utterly retarded that is?

At this point you're just spreading lies. You say I am wrong. PROVE IT. I am perfectly correct until you prove me otherwise. I said that extremists come from every sect. That is true.
I said that sectarianism divides us. That, too, is perfectly true.
I said we need to destroy their ideology of lies in order to destroy them - that is how they gain support and recruits. That, too, is true.
Then what is it that you find false here, that makes my argument wrong? The fact that I'm not your sect? Sectarian bigotry at its best.
 
Firstly, yes, they have.
20,000 scholars term terrorism un-Islamic: Declaration issued at Darul-Uloom Deoband - Newspaper - DAWN.COM
Another Islamic group denounces terrorism - The Times of India
Salafi/Ahle Hadees in Pakistan protest against JuD/LeT
Ahl-e-Hadith Muslims reject Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD)
Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees Hind

Secondly, even if they didn't, the whole point of Salafism is that you don't have to identify with any mullahs or ulema- you can interpret the Quran and Hadith yourself. I don't even call myself a Salafi, I refuse to do so. But that is what makes me a Salafi. Do you not see how utterly retarded that is?

At this point you're just spreading lies. You say I am wrong. PROVE IT. I am perfectly correct until you prove me otherwise. I said that extremists come from every sect. That is true.
I said that sectarianism divides us. That, too, is perfectly true.
I said we need to destroy their ideology of lies in order to destroy them - that is how they gain support and recruits. That, too, is true.
Then what is it that you find false here, that makes my argument wrong? The fact that I'm not your sect? Sectarian bigotry at its best.

Those links you have put there are meaningless. The situation on the ground and in the Wahabi, Salafi and deobandi mosques are 180 degrees opposite of what you are saying. And it is you who is apologizing for these scumbags and even lie to let them off the hook. I have traveled the whole of Pakistan. Let me give you an example. The way Ismailis are treated in your country, is pathetic specially since the father of your nation belonged to that faith. I have myself observed and personally told despicable stories of the treatment the Islmailis receive at the hand of Deobandi and Wahabis in the north of your country. Ismailis are routinely called Kafer and their young girls are "converted" for "marriage". If an Ismaili even dares to convert a Sunni girl and marry her, there will be so much bloodshed that the Islamili community has decided not to reciprocate. This is your Takfir, that you are defending here. You can go on and fool some people here, who have not been to Pakistan through your lies. But I have seen it first hand. You can't lie to me. Take your lies to someone else.
 
Those links you have put there are meaningless.
No, they aren't. You said that ABSOLUTELY NO Salafis EVER condemned terrorists. I proved you wrong with those links. They are not meaningless.
The situation on the ground and in the Wahabi, Salafi and deobandi mosques are 180 degrees opposite of what you are saying.
I am saying a lot of things. Which part are they opposite of? The part where I said WE SHOULD be trying to destroy extremists' lies? Even Barelvi mosques are exact opposite of that, according to Barelvi scholar Tahir-ul-Qadri and a few analysts and reports. All are at fault, by singling out different sects you are running from the problem by blaming others.
The Assertion of Barelvi Extremism - by Ismail Khan

And it is you who is apologizing for these scumbags and even lie to let them off the hook.
Where the f**k am I apologizing for them??!!! Salafi does not equal terrorist. I am 'apologizing' for Salafis because bigots like you spread propaganda about them because of your sectarian bigotry. Otherwise I advocate the complete destruction of extremists. How is that 'apologizing'? The only reason you're calling me an apologist is because I don't belong to your sect, that is clear. Spreading such fitnah is haram, by the way.

I have traveled the whole of Pakistan. Let me give you an example. The way Ismailis are treated in your country, is pathetic specially since the father of your nation belonged to that faith. I have myself observed and personally told despicable stories of the treatment the Islmailis receive at the hand of Deobandi and Wahabis in the north of your country.
I've traveled enough of Pakistan too. And I have myself observed that other sects, including Barelvis and even sometimes Shias, are involved in this mistreatment of different sects. What you described is the sectarian hatred I keep talking about, which you, too, are spreading here.
Ismailis are routinely called Kafer and their young girls are "converted" for "marriage". If an Ismaili even dares to convert a Sunni girl and marry her, there will be so much bloodshed that the Islamili community has decided not to reciprocate.
Sunni is 80% of the country and includes all sects from Hanafi (Barelvi/Deobandi), Hanbali, Shafii and Maliki to Salafi. So basically you're saying exactly what I am saying that it isn't about sects, its about extremism.
This is your Takfir, that you are defending here.
I have not defended any Takfir. I have clearly condemned all sorts of Takfir and have clearly explained how I believe the issue should be handled. You are lying.
You can go on and fool some people here, who have not been to Pakistan through your lies. But I have seen it first hand. You can't lie to me. Take your lies to someone else.
You are lying here. I didn't lie about anything. Like I said before, I am perfectly correct until you prove me otherwise. I said that extremists come from every sect. That is true.
I said that sectarianism divides us. That, too, is perfectly true.
I said we need to destroy the extremist ideology of lies in order to destroy them - that is how they gain support and recruits. That, too, is true.
I said WE SHOULD condemn all sorts of takfir in our Jumaa khutbaas. SHOULD. English, bigot, do you understand it? I said it SHOULD happen, not that it already happens.
What is it that you find false here? What am I apologizing for? Stop using this retarded mullah tactic of accusing other people of being 'Wahabis' and 'apologists' and argue with my points.
 
O hello Saudi King and Crown Prince and Imams of Kaba and Masjid e Nabwi have condenmed this what else you expect
 
How can nawaz sharif say anythng about suadies . he owe them big tym
 
DAWN

KARACHI: A US official in a cable sent to the State Department stated that “financial support estimated at nearly 100 million USD annually was making its way to Deobandi and Salafi/Wahabi clerics in south Punjab from organisations in Saudi Arabia ostensibly with the direct support of that government.”

The cable sent in November 2008 by Bryan Hunt, the then Principal Officer at the US Consulate in Lahore, was based on information from discussions with local government and non-governmental sources during his trips to the cities of Multan and Bahawalpur.

Quoting local interlocutors, Hunt attempts to explain how the “sophisticated jihadi recruitment network” operated in a region dominated by the Barelvi sect, which, according to the cable, made south Punjab “traditionally hostile” to Deobandi and Salafi/Wahabi schools of thought.

Hunt refers to a “network of Deobandi and Salafi/Wahabi mosques and madrassahs” being strengthened through an influx of “charity” which originally reached organisations “such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Al-Khidmat foundation”. Portions of these funds would then be given away to clerics “in order to expand these sects’ presence” in a relatively inhospitable yet “potentially fruitful recruiting ground”.

Outlining the process of recruitment for militancy, the cable describes how “families with multiple children” and “severe financial difficulties” were generally being exploited for recruitment purposes. Families first approached by “ostensibly ‘charitable’” organisations would later be introduced to a “local Deobandi or Salafi/Wahabi maulana” who would offer to educate the children at his madrassah and “find them employment in the service of Islam”. “Martyrdom” was also “often discussed”, with a final cash payment to the parents. “Local sources claim that the current average rate is approximately Rs 500,000 (approximately USD 6,500) per son,” the cable states.

Children recruited would be given age-specific indoctrination and would eventually be trained according to the madrassah teachers’ assessment of their inclination “to engage in violence and acceptance of jihadi culture” versus their value as promoters of Deobandi or Salafi/Wahabi sects or recruiters, the cable states.

Recruits “chosen for jihad” would then be taken to “more sophisticated indoctrination camps”. “Locals identified three centres reportedly used for this purpose”. Two of the centres were stated to be in the Bahawalpur district, whereas one was reported as situated “on the outskirts of Dera Ghazi Khan city”. These centres “were primarily used for indoctrination”, after which “youths were generally sent on to more established training camps in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and then on to jihad either in FATA, NWFP, or as suicide bombers in settled areas”.



TTP - From Deobandi links to Salafi influence

DAWN
2010

TEHREEK-i-Taliban Pakistan, which was formed as an umbrella organisation for more than two dozen militant outfits in December 2007, in South Waziristan has since evolved considerably from its roots.

From the very start, Salafi and Saudi Arabian influence was visible, but initially it was restricted to funding. The slain commander of TTP Baitullah Meshud once admitted in an interview that Arabs and Al Qaeda provided the initial funds for forming the TTP.

No wonder then that within two years of its formation, Arab groups with links with Al Qaeda were given representation in the central council of TTP. Experts say this was the first instance of direct Salafi influence on the decision-making process within TTP.

The Deobandi link was there too – many of its foot soldiers and some of its leaders come from Deobandi madressahs.

But this Deobandi side of the TTP identity got diluted with time especially as banned militant and sectarian organisations which had been shifting their operations from mainland Pakistan to the tribal areas began making inroads into the TTP.

Among these were splinter groups of Laskhar-i-Taiba (a Salafi organisation), ‘rogue’ and radicalised elements of the Jamaat-i-Islami and other militant organisations who now dominate Tehreek-i-Taliban’s decision-making process.

Sectarian militant organisations such as Sipaha-i-Sahaba Pakistan, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and Harkatul Jihad-i-Islami are now part of Pakistan Taliban’s organisational set-up and now take active part in the Taliban-led terrorist attacks on the urban centres and government installations and personnel.

Hence, apart from the TTP head Hakimullah, Hafiz Gul Buhadar and the late Maulvi Nazir (the latter two groups have loose agreements with the Pakistani army) there are at least 10 other groups that have their own strongholds in Fata such as Maulvi Faqir Mohammed of Bajaur who has been expelled from TTP.

These 10 groups include the main leadership of the “Punjabi Taliban” that is based in NW. Asmatullah Muavia is the main leader of the Punjabi Taliban.

Other groups that are perhaps not so high profile but continue to operate from the tribal areas and enjoy influence with the TTP include the Rasheed Ghazi force and Jundullah. These groups are focused on carrying out attacks inside Pakistan as well.
 
Reuters

Formation of a Terror Alliance

The LeJ by 2004 had became a powerful terrorist organization with increasing support from Al Qaeda. The new, never-before-known expertise of LeJ cadres proficient in bomb-making and suicide bombings came from the same source. With time, the LeJ had established its contacts with extremists in Pakistan’s tribal areas (FATA). The new ‘friends’ were mainly Uzbek, belonging to the notorious Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) who had taken refuge in Pakistan’s tribal areas as US operations in Afghanistan continued.

With the formation of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in 2007, many of the LeJ’s factions started operating in urban areas under its umbrella. The rise of an insurgency in FATA and a sudden increase in terrorist attacks all over Pakistan proved to be very beneficial for the LeJ as the main concentration of Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) was diverted towards fighting the more powerful rebellion of the TTP. The LeJ’s undeclared alliance with the TTP came to limelight when the responsibility for 2008 Marriott hotel bombing in Islamabad was claimed by the TTP.
The investigation however, unearthed some startling facts.
The logistics support for this attack was provided by local militants in Punjab, who were also associated with the LeJ. It was now the LeJ helping the TTP to execute attacks in urban areas of Punjab, while the latter in return provided safe heavens for LeJ terrorists in FATA.

Attack on SL team
On 3 March 2009, a convoy of the Sri Lankan cricket team was ambushed in Lahore, 6 policemen and 2 civilians were killed, while two Sri Lankan players also sustained injuries. This attack was carried out by at least 12 highly-trained gunmen. Key suspects of this attack were mostly the LeJ and TTP operatives in Punjab. The primary suspect, Muhammad Aqeel alias Dr. Usman, evaded arrest. The attack is believed to have been masterminded by Malik Ishaq himself.

When TTP chief Baitullah Mehsud was killed in 2009, Hakimullah Mehsud took over. He is credited with forming a proper alliance with the LeJ. Under his command, the TTP began targeting minority sects in tribal areas and claimed responsibility for numerous attacks on Shias. But the major joint terror strike by the TTP and LeJ was witnessed in 2009 which was a first-of-its-kind and took the entire nation by surprise.

It was the siege of Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters or the GHQ in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. 5 out of 10 terrorists who stormed the GHQ belonged to Punjab-based extremist organisations, mainly the LeJ; the other 5 belonged to the TTP. A successful special forces hostage rescue operation ended the siege, but resulted in the martyrdom of two SSG commandos and two civilians.

THE SAUDI CONNECTION

In the Punjab town of Jhang, LeJ’s birthplace, SSP leader Maulana Mohammad Ahmed Ludhianvi describes what he says are Tehran’s grand designs. Iranian consular offices and cultural centers, he alleges, are actually a front for its intelligence agencies.

“If Iranian interference continues it will destroy this country,” said Ludhianvi in an interview in his home. The state provides him with armed guards, fearful any harm done to him could trigger sectarian bloodletting.

Ludhianvi insisted he was just a politician. “I would like to tell you that I am not a murderer, I am not a killer, I am not a terrorist. We are a political party.”

After a meal of chicken, curry and spinach, Ludhianvi and his aides stood up to warmly welcome a visitor: Saudi Arabia-based cleric Malik Abdul Haq al-Meqqi.

A Pakistani cleric knowledgeable about Sunni groups described Meqqi as a middleman between Saudi donors and intelligence agencies and the LeJ, the SSP and other groups.

“Of course, Saudi Arabia supports these groups. They want to keep Iranian influence in check in Pakistan, so they pay,” the Pakistani cleric said. His account squared with that of a Pakistani intelligence agent, who said jailed militants had confessed that LeJ received Saudi funding.
 
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Every terror is in muslim countries, SAUDI is there. Too bad. :disagree:
making blanket blame on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is unfair. yes there are Saudi/ Qatari donors but then again there are also Pakistani collaborators as well.

LeJ is one organisation that stays immune to any repercussions. only exception is when its operatives are killed in action against Pakistan army in their attacks on military bases or in the tribal areas operations. it has made an alliance with Ghazi force of Red Mosque administration which is why its political wing under the name of ASWJ openly backs red mosque, marches in support of Red Mosque Cleric and openly advocates the killing of shias and praises the TTP .

its been years, that elements within the Arab gulf states are funding extremist organisation and radicalising our population but no Pakistani government has EVER disrupted the flow of funds which is a real shame so the Pakistani state also shares the blame for that.
 
This is a war being waged by Salafi jihadists supported by their Saudi benefactors against the rest of the muslim(sunni and shia) world, and the western world.

The goal is to overthrow existing states and set up takfiri/salafi-led states around the world and link them under the umbrella of a Salafi caliphate by using foot soldiers such as the TTP, Lashkar e Jhangvi and Al Qaeda in Pakistan, Al Nusra in Syria, AQAP in Yemen, ISIS in Iraq and Syria, Al Shabab in Somalia, Abu Sayyaf in Philipines, Boko Haram in Nigeria...the list goes on and on.

While TTP and other foot soldiers fight on the ground, the Salafi jihadist establishment in Saudi provides the ideology, operational guidance, and funding to all such organizations through proxies.

As many media sources have confirmed, ISIS was a Saudi project. The Saudis created and funded the monster to destroy Asad's regime in Syria and wreak havoc in Shiite run Iraq. However, they are now learning a valuable lesson in blowback as ISIS has turned its guns on Saudi rulers, declaring them unworthy.
As the Atlantic reported, - "ISIS, in fact, may have been a major part of Bandar’s covert-ops strategy in Syria. The Saudi government, for its part, had denied allegations, including claims made by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, that it has directly supported ISIS. But there are also signs that the kingdom only recently shifted its assistance—whether direct or indirect—away from extremist factions in Syria and toward more moderate opposition groups."

Clearly, Saudi's new found fear of ISIS stems from their desire for self preservation, rather than any genuine regard for the communities being ravaged by these militants in Iraq and Syria. The fact that ISIS's ideology largely mirrors the Saudi Wahhabi doctrine cannot be denied. And herein lies the problem.

As Reuters explained in a recent article - "Supporters of the Al Saud argue they have to tread carefully when dealing with conservative clerics. They say the ruling family is more liberal than most Saudi citizens, and is wary of provoking public anger.But liberal Saudis and some foreign analysts say that is not the case, and argue that if the government really wanted to reduce intolerant religious discourse, it could readily do so."When the government wants things to be done, they will be done," said Mohammed al-Zulfa, a former member of the Shoura Council."

Will the ruling Saud family renounce its 200 year old alliance with the Wahhabi clergy? Will it dismantle the intolerant ideology that has served as a wellspring for salafi/wahhabi jihadists around the world? Will it stop funding murderous groups like ISIS, TTP and Lashkar e Jhangvi in its quest for geo-political dominance?

Is the Saudi ruling hierarchy willing to reform itself and the salafi establishment it has nurtured for more than 200 years?It is clear that unless the Saudis course correct, salafi jihadists will continue to wreak havoc.

Hopefully the Pakistani and US establishments are smart enough to realize that this war cannot be won by simply targeting non-state actors like TTP or ISIS. Whatever the means, until international powers confront and dismantle the ideological and financial hub of the salafi jihadists in Saudi, the threat will remain and atrocities like the Army Public School attack will continue.
 
September 14

KARACHI, Pakistan
— With Pakistan experiencing the worst period in its political history as well as fighting the Taliban within its borders, the Islamic State could not have chosen a better time to make inroads into Pakistan — if it wanted to.
The political squabble has refused to die down since it began on Aug. 14, when two political leaders provoked battles in the street with law enforcement agencies, stormed the state-owned Pakistan Television headquarters in the federal capital Islamabad, and demanded the resignation of the country’s democratically elected prime minister.

And near its western border, the Pakistani army is trying to flush out militants from North Waziristan, one of seven tribal districts in the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA).

Reports of pro-Islamic State graffiti in Balochistan province and the distribution of a booklet titled “Fatah” (“Victory), published in Pashto and Dari languages, in the suburbs of Peshawar, are climbing to the top of the list of concerns for the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

“I’ve heard these have been distributed in the Afghan refugee camps, which are in the outskirts of the city, appealing to the people to support it in establishing an Islamic caliphate,” Jamshed Baghwan, Peshawar bureau chief of Express News, told MintPress. He, however, had not seen the booklet himself.
Rahimullah Yusufzai, resident editor of The News in Peshawar, said he had also heard that the pamphlets were being distributed in the Afghan refugee camps.
“This, to me, proves that its objectives are limited as is its target and area. I hear the printing is of inferior quality, which shows the group had limited resources,” Yusufzai, an authority on Afghan affairs and the FATA, explained.

The issue of the pro-Islamic State pamphlets came up during a daily U.S. State Department news briefing in Washington on Tuesday. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki commented: “I don’t have any confirmation of this. Obviously, I’m sure you’re watching events like this closely. I think, again, part of our effort underway is not limited to a specific part of the world to take on this threat.”

Islamic State who?
Islamic State, the jihadist group formerly called the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS/ISIL), was formed in April 2013, out of al-Qaida in Iraq. The group is currently fighting forces in Iraq and Syria which it believes are Shiite-friendly regimes that threaten their extremist Salafi ideology. Although the Islamic State targets Shiite Muslims, killing them by the thousands, the militant group has fought with Sunnis in Iraq, Syria and parts of the proposed Kurdistan territory, as well as Sunni al-Nusra fighters.

The Islamic State is led by Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi,a follower of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, the late Jordanian who ran a paramilitary training camp in Afghanistan and ultimately gained notoriety for a series of bombings, beheadings, and attacks during the Iraq War in 2003.

“The group appears to be militarily advanced because its commanders include former mid-level and senior officers in the Ba’ath-era Iraqi army. As an organization, the Islamic State and its antecedents (al-Qaida) have also been fighting in the region (Iraq and Syria) for over a decade. So it has a wealth of experience,” Arif Rafiq, an adjunct scholar with the Washington-based Middle East Institute, noted in an email exchange with MintPress.

Along with its wealth of experience, the Islamic State receives funds from a variety of sources. Rafiq said these funds come from “its own predatory activity (extortion and kidnapping for ransom); seizure of Iraqi state financial resources and military hardware; and donations from sympathizers in Gulf Arab states, particularly Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.”

According to news reports, hard-line groups operating in Pakistan and Afghanistan have already announced support for the group headed by the Afghan Taliban. “Among them, a few TTP militant leaders, as well as Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost and Maulvi Abdul Qahar, stalwarts of Saudi Arabia-backed Salafi Taliban groups operating in Nuristan and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan, have already announced support for the self-styled caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,”
the Express Tribune reported on Wednesday.

Mullah Fazlullah, the TTP leader, is reported to be hiding in the Kunar or Nuristan region.



Another group waits to make its presence felt
A blow to the TTP early this year came in the form of the Jamaatul Ahrar (TTP-JA), a TTP splinter group. Experts say this hard-line group is the one that should be watched, not the Islamic State.
The TTP-JA is led by Omar Khalid Khorasani and based in Mohmand tribal agency, near Peshawar. It has strong ties to al-Qaida. Khorasani has said that it was necessary to break away from the TTP because it had become undisciplined and suffered from infighting.
“They oppose the TTP leadership and are keen on attacking Pakistan unabated,” Rafiq said of the TTP-JA.
He said terrorist violence in Pakistan had dropped considerably this year, making it the “least deadly” year since 2010, but the TTP-JA “aims at reversing the trend.”
Pakistan witnessed Islamic State-like barbarism, with the TTP brooking no dissent when it controlled the Pashtun belt from 2007 into 2009. “The TTP blew up Sufi shrines, attacked Shia Muslims, and implemented its own form of vigilante justice,” said Rafiq.
That “vigilante justice” is what ultimately led to a public backlash against the TTP, and the army was called in to drive out the terrorist group from Swat and other areas.
“Fortunately for Pakistan, with a strong, professional army and a political class that is capable of uniting, at this moment, the TTP does not maintain control of large swaths of territory,” said Rafiq. “The insurgency threat has been more or less contained.”
But now, with TTP-JA in the forefront, Rafiq forecast more violence, with the new group “attempting to undo the Pakistan army’s counterinsurgency gains in Bajaur and Swat; and renew attacks on Pakistani state installations, with a particular emphasis on globally isolating Pakistan.”
 
NATION
Jan 2015
ISLAMABAD - Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Wednesday met Acting Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Jassem Al-Khaledi to discuss a host of issues, including stopping of funding to proscribed militant organisations in Pakistan by Saudi philanthropists.
The government, as part of the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP), had said that it had asked three "brotherly" Islamic countries to stop funding to banned organisations in Pakistan.
An official statement, issued by the Ministry of Interior, said that Acting Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Jassem Al-Khaledi called on the interior minister.
However, the statement did not mention that the issue of stopping of funding came under discussion at the meeting.
According to the statement, the minister said Pakistan and Saudia Arabia enjoyed unique brotherly relations.
Nisar said Saudia Arabia had always supported Pakistan.
“The government and people of Pakistan hold the leadership, the royal family and their people in very high esteem,” he said.
The ambassador thanked the kind remarks of the minister and pledged the full cooperation and never-ending support of the Saudi government towards the Pakistan government.
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Nisar's kind words sound like a cruel joke. Time will tell if the Saudis are willing to mend their ways or merely paying lip service.
 
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