A new global jihadist group that is unwilling to negotiate with the Pakistani government has announced its formation and vowed to continue attacks in the country despite the outcome of ongoing peace talks. The group, which is calling itself Ahrar-ul-Hind, said its goal is the establishment of sharia, or Islamic law, and that the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan are still “our brothers” despite separation from the group.
Ahrar-ul-Hind emailed two statements to The Long War Journal on Feb. 9: one from its spokesman, and another that outlined its “aims and objectives,” according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which translated the communiques. Ahrar-ul-Hind has also posted both statements on its Facebook page.
“Ahrar-ul-Hind was part of TTP [Tehrik-e-Taliban or Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan] and ‘other jihadi organizations’ but split from TTP due it [TTP] engaging in talks with the Pakistani government,” Adam Raisman from SITE told The Long War Journal.
The Pakistani government is currently engaged in peace talks with radical mainstream clerics who were appointed by the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan. [See Threat Matrix report, Taliban ‘negotiator’ Abdullah Aziz appears with armed guards.] The Taliban demand that sharia be implemented throughout Pakistan and the military withdraw from the Federally Administered Tribal areas, where numerous Taliban groups as well as al Qaeda and a host of regional and global jihadist groups are based.
Asad Mansour, the spokesman for Ahrar-ul-Hind, said “[i]t is very clear that Shariah can never be attained through talks,” and that even if the government makes a concession, “it will only be limited to tribal areas.”
Additionally, Mansour said that a potential peace agreement would bypass “urban areas and mujahideen belonging to urban areas.” The group is based in “the urban areas of Pakistan,” Mansour indicated, and its “activities will be concentrated in major cities.”
Mansour identified Ahrar-ul-Hind’s emir as Maulana Umar Qasmi, and said that attacks would continue in Pakistan’s cities despite the outcome of peace talks between the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan and government.
“Therefore, we grouped under the leadership of Maulana Umar Qasmi, under the banner of Ahrar-ul-Hind. We aim to carry forward our armed struggle and sacrificing attacks until the establishment of Shariah in Pakistan,” he said. “In the past, we used to participate in jihad with Tehrik-e-Taliban and other jihadi organizations, but from this point onwards we will conduct attacks independently ….”
“Mujahideen associated with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan are our brothers, but if they opt for a ceasefire with the government, we shall not be bound by their agreement, nor are we willing to accept such a ceasefire,” Mansour continued.
In the statement announcing its “aims and objectives,” Ahrar-ul-Hind threatened to wage war on the “Indian subcontinent” and beyond, with the ultimate goal of imposing sharia worldwide.
“We aim to carry an armed struggle on the Indian subcontinent with an aim to establish Islamic Shariah in the whole world,” one bullet announced.
“We fight for the liberation of holy lands including Jerusalem and other occupied places in the Muslim world,” another stated.
The establishment of Ahrar-ul-Hind may explain the spate of attacks throughout Pakistan as the Taliban negotiates with the government. On Feb. 10, a suicide bomber killed four women in Quetta. On Feb. 4, a suicide bomber killed eight people in Peshawar; that attack was denied by the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan but claimed by the group’s emir for Peshawar, Mufti Hasaan Swati.
The formation of Ahrar-ul-Hind may also be a ruse by the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan in give it plausible deniability for any attacks its commanders execute during negotiations. Splinter jihadist groups are often formed in Pakistan, only to be reabsorbed after serving their purpose.
12 Comments
Old habits (i.e blowing themselves & others) die hard.
When is Pakistan going to realize that as long as radical, violent madrassas and spokesmen are allowed to remain open, these endless spores of poisonous rhetoric will continue to manifest?
Pakistan must have the most jihadi groups of any country in the world!
How long can this go on. How and why is the government even able to hang on in what appears to be an ongoing situation of increasing lawlessness, anarchy and terrorist bombings and murders. I’ve seen reports in the past saying that most Paks now actually would prefer Islamism over a democratically elected government. The trend seems to be the inevitable the islamization of Pakistan. Apparently the only thing slowing them down is the army……which is itself islamist. I’m putting my money on Pakistan becoming an islamist theocracy, like Iran, within 5 years at this rate of deterioration.
The words “Ahrar-ul-Hind” in Arabic means “Free Men of India”. The name is also similar to an islamic terrorist group in Syria called “Ahrar-ash-Sham”, which means “Free Men of Syria”. The name “Hind” in Arabic corresponds to Muslim fanatic dreams of conquering the Indian subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh) like they did many centuries ago. To them Pakistan is a nationalistic name , which they only use as a temporary phase. Also “Hind” was referred in the hadith, where the prophet mohammed predicted that the Indian subcontinent (comprising of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh) will be conquered by Muslims and a Muslim people from that land will fight the infidels (those who are not muslim or not sufficiently Muslim in their eyes) in the middle east on the day of judgement and will reclaim Jerusalem for the Muslim people, with Jesus (Muslims call him Isa) coming back.
The name of this bloody gang is an attempt to show that they r now going to target Punjab Province.Punjab is not interested in to destroy Talibans Stronghold bcoz the strategic dept policy belongs to Punjabi think tanks.In FATA we the civillians are waiting for army to destroy these talibans but no one is coming to save us.we r deprived of peace due to central govt policies and the policies of saudi paid jamaat islami and jameeat e ulema.i think punjab is going to play another bloody game in afghanistan after US withdrawl…
Read with interest Birbal Dhar’s comment. Earlier conquest by Muslims came about because of (1) their better fighting capabilities – arms, training and motivation (2) divided Indian rulers.
But now, those 2 factors do not hold good mostly. India is united and well armed, trained and motivated. But India’s muslim population remains an unknown quantity and could play a critical role.
Just to give an example, Kashmir, despite its strongly motivated anti India campaign is not doing half the damage to Indian forces that Taliban is able to do in Pakistan. Pakistani forces are unable to subdue Waziristan, a much smaller area than Kashmir.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record when the state itself endorses “disappearing” people, torture and extra- judicial killings, it is hardly in a position to hold the moral highground and I note the tweet from Amer Khan, re Islamabad attack… Judge Rafaqat Awan was thought to be a main target because he rejected a plea to register a case against General Musharaf….
The state must act within the law… unfortunately some think they are above it.
Yes they did post 2 letters in urdu a while back… as described…
Adding confusion and more splinter cells to destabilise and twist the foolish Pakistanis and continue the wedge between the West and Pakistan.
This group emerges out of thin air, with a highly sophisticated blazen attack do you not smell foul play.
In whose benefit is it that TTP who have zero ideological credibility within Pakistan and are deluded brainwashed fools of foreign states has PEACE with Pakistanis.
Indiscriminately killing Pakistanis and then talk of liberating Muslim is utter nonsense.
This serves only one nation and it is India and the sooner The West look deeper into Indian nefarious clandestine operations against Pakistan through consulates along the Pak Afghan birders the sooner you will realise who these terrorists are.
This is the Great game people and for the first time envisaging it’s global dream India has sat foot on the playing field where as previously hidden behind real home grown Afghan proxies like Northern alliance.
In this occasion it is different Indian intelligence is on the ground and waging a covert war against Pakistan. South Asian non Afghan fighters have been killed amongst the ranks of Balochi and TTP terrorists what is more these were UNCIRCUMCISED I.e. Non Muslim South Asian pertaining to be Afghans?.
Furthermore India is incapable of acting alone as it has zero credibility amongst Pashtuns therefore uses the Tajik / Uzbek power hungry ex Northern Alliance warlords who are now the government of Afghanistan and RAM which is Afghan Intelligence.
These attacks will only get blazen and more violent until Americans withdraw from Afghanistan and Indian consulates are shut down.
Do not be fooled by India, read on terrorist activities India has waged on every single neighbour with Pakistan her prize.
This is just another TTP tactic, seeking to create delusions of grandeur between Pak governments and their approach to TTP creating mistrust between people of Pakistan and Army against an incompetent Pakistani government.
If this Pak government does not mature and grow up and smell the coffee and STOP these doomed fake peace talks expect TTP regrouping for one final onslaught like SWAT in 2008 before the last American boots leave Afghanistan.
If India gets to destabilise and destroy Pakistan it will be a dream come true but as she parts from her nefarious bases inside Afghanistan under ISAF protection she will want to see Pakistan bleed.
Some misconceptions need to be cleared:
1. Carol, the Judge, Rafaqat Awan, turned down an appeal of the Red Mosque accused terrorists. Regarding “disappearances,” when terrorists threaten and kill judges who convict them, and so most judges are unwilling to hear their cases let alone convict them, then what should be done? The USA Patriot Act with similar curbs on personal freedom and Guantanumo Bay have played their part in preventing further terrorists attacks in the USA.
2. Bungo, Pakistan still has a growing economy and an intact society because all the terrorists taken together amount to some 50,000 which is less than 0.03% of the population. Even when you include their tacit supporters, they do not amount to more than 1% of the population. The rest believe in the Constitution and in education, jobs, and human rights. This is why there is no real societal divide like in Egypt, Ukraine, and elsewhere. There is no widespread support of the terrorists lunatic aims.
3. Sherdil, the main reason the Government and Military is not going all out to wipe out these miscreants in N. Waziristan is that the two popular parties in KPK i.e. PTI and JUI are such advocates of “talks.” So this cannot be just blamed on the central and Punjab Governments.
4. Finally, Ameen’s assertion of RAW funding and support does have considerable credence because these are such small, splinter groups with lunatic aims that have no resonance with the population at large and also because of a history of RAW terrorist activities in East Pakistan (Mukti Bahini), Sri Lanka (LTTE) and, of course Pakistan.
The conspiracy theories that blame outside powers of instigating terrorism, are a divertion from the actual core issues. Fact is that the ISI has for decades trained and indoctrinated many thousands of men to wage its proxy wars in Afghanistan and Kashmir. It was only a matter of time before some of these groups turned their guns on their former master. Its time to close down the extremist madrassas and stop the Saudis funding hardline groups in Pakistan. When the Americans leave Afghanistan, Pakistan needs to work with the Afghan Government and wipe out both the Afghan and Pak Taliban networks. Strong and stable democracies can then emerge in both countries.
I think you will find the uncircumcised fighting on both sides of the border are reverts, coming from Germany, UK and elsewhere… have interviewed several…