Where angels fear to tread: The business of sending young boys to wage war

Teenagers from places as central as Peshawar enticed by violent ideologists to fight in Afghanistan

PESHAWAR: His name was Kamran*, a resident of Bara Pul, Warsak Road. He was in his late teens—maybe 17—and was feeling neglected. His mother was sick and had lost the use of her lower extremities; his father married another woman, nearly abandoning Kamran and his siblings. In 2014, Kamran was recruited by a banned jihadi outfit and sent to Afghanistan to fight the “American infidels”.

Six months later, after he fulfilled his ‘purpose’ in the war-torn country, the boy was killed in combat with the Afghan army and his body was sent to his home on April 3. If a hero’s burial was not enough, the banned jihadi group arranged a conference on April 17.



At least 2,000 people attended this ‘conference’ at Kamran’s grave side in Chal Ghazi Baba graveyard, on the outskirts of Peshawar on Warsak Road. With people attending the conference from areas like Mardan and Nowshera, the rest were locals who had showed up for Kamran’s qul. Close enough to the Mohmand border, this mass event was nonetheless within the jurisdiction of the ‘settled’ district.

Those who must not be named

“They started around 3pm and it ended around 6pm without inviting any attention,” said a local on condition of anonymity. ‘They’ were members of this particular outfit, which like many others, declared war against the Americans and aim to expel these troops from Afghanistan.

“They told the audience about the ‘jihad in Afghanistan’ and encouraged young men to offer their services for the purpose,” he paused, “And around 30 youngsters came forward, and signed up, registering their names with the outfit.”

He added these people claimed they had the complete support of the establishment and “everyone is too afraid to question it”.

Echoing a sentiment few would repeat, he said, “The people interested in jihad should send their own kids instead of making our offspring the fuel of this civil war going on in another country.”

Kamrans of Pakistan

While Kamran’s father might have been distracted, other parents are just too scared to stop their children or speak up about it.

Around a dozen children from surrounding villages have been sent to Afghanistan for the “holy war” and Kamran was just one of them. Parents say they are too afraid to tell anyone that their own flesh and blood has been brainwashed and sent to fight a war. They are petrified of what the police, intelligence agencies and, above all, these banned outfits which operate with impunity can do to them, to keep them silent.

Waging jihad might seem a little unattractive and unfeasible in Pakistan now, after continuing search and strike operations by security forces and law-enforcement agencies. But when it comes to Afghanistan, the war has not lost its charm yet. This is clearly evident from the recruitment efforts of jihadi or militant groups, who are reaching out to boys and young men in Peshawar and sending them off to Afghanistan or Kashmir.

New-found purpose

Talking to The Express Tribune, a villager from Warsak Road, Sadeeq* said one of his cousins was indoctrinated and recruited by these organisations. His cousin was sent to Afghanistan to “take part in jihad against infidels”, even though the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has wrapped up its operation there.

“These people use the cover of Kashmir but are also involved in Afghanistan,” he added. “At least seven boys have been taken away from different villages,” mostly after they were convinced of the spiritual glamour associated with the death of a martyr. “These people collect animal hides at Eid and charity every Friday from mosques without any scrutiny,” he said, referring to the freedom with which they function.

Fazal Rabi, another local, said jihad was a profit-making machine, its fuel the youth of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

“We are not a people who learn from our mistakes,” said Rabi. “It was our Afghan policy which backfired in the shape of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. This has been a bane in our existence for at least a decade, claiming precious human lives and more.” He added, “It is time we kiss Afghan jihad good bye for good.”

For according to Rabi, these banned militant groups were first recruiting young blood locally; today they do the same for the Afghan Taliban without any hindrance.

“There are families and parents who would shoot these recruiters dead, but these head hunters claim to have support of the intelligence agencies.” That holds the villagers back, explained Rabi.

In his estimation, over 15 teenage boys have been uprooted and sent to Afghanistan from various villages recently, bright young boys who instead of aiming for the starts, fall for the favours of the seventh heaven.

*names changed to protect identity

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2015.