DERA ISMAIL KHAN/ ISLAMABAD:
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) declared allegiance to Islamic State (IS) on Saturday and ordered militants across the region to help the Middle Eastern group in its campaign to set up a global Islamic caliphate.
IS, which controls swathes of land in Syria and Iraq, has been making inroads into South Asia, which has traditionally been dominated by Taliban insurgencies against both the Pakistan and Afghanistan governments.
The announcement comes after a September move by al Qaeda chief, Ayman al Zawahiri, to name former Taliban commander Asim Umar as the ‘Ameer’ of a new South Asia branch of the network that masterminded the 2001 attacks on the United States.
Although there is little evidence yet of a firm alliance between IS and Taliban commanders, IS activists have been spotted recently in Peshawar distributing pamphlets praising the group. IS flags have also been seen at street rallies in Indian-administered Kashmir.
In a message marking Eidul Azha, the TTP spokesperson said they fully supported IS goals. “Oh our brothers, we are proud of you in your victories. We are with you in your happiness and your sorrow,” Shahidullah Shahid said in a statement sent to Reuters by email from an unknown location.
“In these troubled days, we call for your patience and stability, especially now that all your enemies are united against you. Please put all your rivalries behind you ... All Muslims in the world have great expectations of you ... We are with you, we will provide you with Mujahideen (fighters) and with every possible support.”
The leader of TTP’s splinter group, meanwhile, offered mediation between IS and other jihadi groups. Omar Khalid Khorasani, the leader of TTP Jammat-ul-Ahrar group, suggested reconciliation among IS, Jabha tun Nusra, the al Qaeda group in Syria, and other militant factions.
In a message released to the media by the group’s spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan, Khorasani said that since the “infidels have formed a coalition to attack the Muslims of Iraq and Sham, it is important that the Mujahideen are united against this aggression”.
The statement, released in Urdu, Pashto and Arabic, was sent after IS militants beheaded British aid worker Alan Henning in a video posted on Friday, triggering condemnation by the British and US governments.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 5th, 2014.
COMMENTS (39)
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@Rex Minor: So are the Yanks creating and supporting them or fighting them?At least make up your mind.And nobody is denying them-TTP- to you if you wish to keep them.
@Watchman: you want terrorist's strategy to work ? there is no ending od this mindset. once you surrendar before fear you ll always end up doing that. once You create a separate country on name of sect you ll end up doing that forever. I am happy that india has never bent over such fears!
@csmann: 30 years are can be considered numbered, is the forecast of American chiefs? And for how long the yanks have been in combat with the Talibans?
Rex Minor
Terrorist organizations like the TTP and Islamic State (IS) share a similar terrorist agenda, therefore, it should not come as a surprise that the TTP are pledging allegiance to IS. It was also reported later that Shahidullah Shahid, spokesperson for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said: “We are loyal to Ameer-ul-Momineen (Mullah Omar) and question does not arise to withdraw from his allegiance. We had only praised the Islamic State and advised them to set aside differences and show unity.” Furthermore, the TTP chief Mullah Fazaullah praised the Islamic State and assured its complete support in his Eid message. Fazalullah urged the Islamic State fighters to fight against the “world infidel force with unity and to set aside differences. A lot of hopes have been attached to the land of Iraq and Syria. We are with you at this difficult moment.” It is easy to see that we face a common threat at the hands of the same terrorists. It only makes sense for us to remain united and refrain from indulging in conspiracy theories that tilt the balance in favor of our common enemies.
Ali Khan Digital Engagement Team, USCENTCOM
There is no comparison between Shiv Sena & Taliban. No Shiv Sainik uses AK-47. Also Shiv Sena doesn't send terrorist to other country.@Pakistani:
@Watchman - Hope you're kidding.... You truly believe that those thugs would lay down their weapons, sit back and enjoy life, once they get Kashmir???
Go US GOO, Bomb terrorists
reality is Pakistan as a state has nothing to do with "ISIS" if there really is such thing. "Declaration" by "PAKISTANI Taliban" is a way to creat a relationship between Pakistan and "ISIS" and that is the actual mischief. First creat an entity called Pakistani Taliban and advertise it extensively. Then create another entity called ISIS and advertise it extensively. Then amalgamate the two in a way that gives impression of Pakistan being a satanic state already alleged of harbouring Osama bin Laden, Alzawahiri and now allied with ISIS. How easy it would be to target Pakistan in near future on these pretences?
Good! Now NATO has an excuse to bomb IS supporters within Pakistan.
note that Mullah Umar has been nominated by AlZawahiry as the new Ameer of the South Asia branch of the terror franchise. But have you ever heard one peep from our govt and armed forces or fre electronic media condemning or criticizing Umar and his lot? There are plenty of reasons to believe that there is cooperation between us and them. It gets curiouser and curiouser, as Alice said in Wonderland.
As usual. Indian trolls gloating over a nonsense news.
@raw is war: Let's be honest. It's not true. Sitting in India... It's easy to make judgments. We in Pakistan don't support them. U have shiv Sena as extremists and we have TTP.
Negotiate with them. Provide an office for them. They are all Imran Khan's brothers and sisters.
so they have served notice period to afghan taliban or al-qaeda?
Pakistanis will welcome you, we want change N you can only bring this with Imran khan N qadri haqiqi azadi...!! Go Pakistan Go ,,Go nawaz Go...!!
Are these the same TTP which half Pakistani called their lost brothers? SOme called them Indian agent , some called them Islamic warriors against USA, some true Shria Lovers, wonder what will they be called now... Memory has very short span in Pakistan
@JEJ: only recommended your comment if you are being sarcastic which is what i thought
Does Imran Khan get a shot at becoming the Khalifa if Islamic State succeeds in taking power in Pakistan?
"All Muslims in the world have great expectations of you."
uh ... delusional much?
This is a sinister move and chimeric in nature. The ideology of Osama Bin Laden has taken hold among the young and deprived Muslims with the mullahs playing around and adding their full cobra fangs. This is the time for intellectuals from the Islamic world to rise and speak. Of course, it will give more headaches to Pakistan and that is why we need new and educated leadership. Not the leftover factotums of the British or 'khurchan' politicians from the villages. Salams.
Pledge your allegiance to anyone, you're gonna bite the dust so bad inshaAllah, ... cuz you're up against a ten-fold ruthless force with an agenda of protecting the motherland from scum terrorists like you! Eid Mubarak to the armed forces of Pakistan, and everyone else too :)
The challenge for our government is to dusrupt and destroy then NOW,not wait till they become monster like Taliban and start hurting us badly.
The time is NOW to take action and Intelligence is the main weapon.
TTP days are numbered ,as are IS's
Oh wait.. weren't these Imran Khan's "our brorthers"? Lets see him try to defend his stance from those days now. Birds of a feather always flock together.
This is horrible news and will have grave implications for Pakistan should the IS decide to carry out their activities in Pakistan as they have done in Iraq and Syria. I really hope that they do not make any inroads as we have enough problems to deal with already.
Better get ready Pakistan...the fanatics from ISIS are coming...and given the fertile ground for fanaticism that has already been created by the mullahs...it won't be long before ISIS starts attacking your country too...
Best suggestion for India. If India wants peace prosperity, New Point of conflict between India and IS will be liberation of Kashmir. Why India wants to invite IS for false pride. Let Kashmir choose What they want. There will be distraction, Which Indianian people , Pakistani and Afghanistan do not want. If it starts there will be no end. This is realty please do not carried away with false pride think seriously and act now.
Taliban supporting ISIS is not a surprise - it will reinforce the alliance between India and the USA focused on eliminating terrorist finding sanctuary in Pakistan.
Pakistanis always wanted a Caliphate. Now they will be getting one soon.
Are these same angry Muslim brothers our beloved foresighted leader was talking about only a few months ago? Shame on the rightwing parties who were against army action while TTP were brutally killing our innocent citizens. Now the US has a valid reason to bomb these terrorists to oblivion. Let us hope Pakistani media would ask these TTP supporters about this new alliance and that how wrong and misleading these leaders have been to naive Pakistanis.
let us be honest. a vast majority of Pakistanis will support ISIS if given a chance.
TTP has shown their real colors by declaring their allegiance to an organization that takes pride in barbarism, anti-humane bigoted and narrow-minded version of a convoluted ideology. No religion condones spilling innocent blood. These individuals are mentally deranged and clueless as to what their aims and objectives are. They will be ultimately destroyed and assigned to dustbin of history.
Distroy this pathetic organisation. alqueda, Isis now ttp. They have openly threatened bloodbath/break india and claiming it as theirs to create emirate. Dangerous days ahead. Govt should spend more heavily on internal security and border, should take no chance after what happened in Mumbai. Wake up Pakistan your home grown snakes have gone out of control. All these group are uniting. it will first swallow your country before Swallowing us, you can't follow good friends, misguided bad friends with these fanatics anymore. Their plan is to make subcontinent another Iraq and Syria distabilising it.
so are these people still our "brothers" that we should not fight and make peace talks with?
TTP's zeal for Islam knows no boundaries.
Insha-Allah Pakistan will become graveyard of this alliance. Terrorists have already lost first round. Their first objective was to derail democracy and constitutional rule in this country but it failed miserably in Islamabad.
Hence proven it's evil since imam kaaba just declared isis as al khawarij in his annual sermon during haj.
They share the same ideology right down to the senseless be-headings. It's unfortunate that many in Pakistan supported these thugs for years .. shame on them.