Deepening Split: TTP Offshoot JuA’s Rebel Commanders Launch HuA

A splinter group of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) has been further splinted into two groups in what appears to be a serious blow to JuA terrorists operating against Pakistan. A video statement released on 11 November 2017 confirmed a belligerent revolt against JuA resulting in formation of new group, the Hizb-ul-Ahrar (HuA) in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. Mukarram Khan, a senior Ahrar leader was named chief of HuA. Mukarram who had earlier served as an important commander for JuA, left parent group along with many commanders over serious internal clashes and policy differences with its leadership including attacks against innocent minority Christians, killing civilians, extortion, kidnapping for ransom and other acts he deemed un-Islamic. However, Dr Aziz Yousafzai is appointed as the group’ spokesman.

Mukarram Khan, who belongs to Mohmand Agency, was serving at key positions as head of the group’s intelligence unit and was the main character behind the JuA’s terrorist activities. He was JuA’s spokesperson and member of the group’s central ‘shura’ or council until last month. HuA under Mukarram followed the same pursuit of JuA which their key leadership announced at the time of its split from TTP. During August 2014, JuA announced Umer Khalid Khurasani as the chief of new group and Ehsanullah Ehsan as its spokesperson on the same grounds which HuA is now claiming to justify its disintegration.

The cracks surfaced in the ranks of the group recently after some of Khorasani’s supporters allegedly shot and injured Mukarram, the close confidants of the JuA chief Omar Khalid Khorasani. This was actually one of the basic reasons of Mukarram’s parted ways with the group as commanders of his faction appeared in a video last month and told their supporters that a “plot of Khorasani’s group to kill Mukarram has been failed”.  Some commanders delivered brief speeches but Mukarram did not appear in the video, as he has been receiving treatment of injuries he had received in the attack by his JuA militants”. The meeting of HuA commanders to announce independent group in a video message was held in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province, adjacent to JuA hideouts in Nangarhar’s Lalpura area.

In an audio message to the dissident commanders, Mukarram accused Khorasani-led group of involvement in the killing of innocent people. He referred several major attacks, including the deadliest attack on a town in Wagah border, in 2014, which killed nearly 60 people and injured more than 100 others. He also mentioned the suicide attack on innocent Christians in a public park of Lahore in March 2016, in which 73 people were died and more than 350 were injured. He said Christians had not been in war with them, and the attack on the innocent non-Muslims “cannot be justified”. Mukarram also mentioned the bombing in December 2015 on the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) in Mardan, KPK which claimed the lives of at least 26 people and injured 50 others.

The group seems to be in trouble with swift escalation of serious internal rifts. HuA chief accused JuA of involving in extortion of money; links with Indian intelligence RAW, Afghan intelligence NDS and fighting with other militant groups. Rebel commander Mukarram along with other members tried numerous times to convince the leadership for change in such policies but failed. According to some militant sources, nearly 40 percent of the JuA commanders support the new splinter group at present and more could join them in view of reservations over the policies of JuA leadership after Khorasani. In February 2107, the Islamabad Lal Masjid condemned JuA for exploiting the name of its deputy imam Ghazi Abdul Rasheed, who was killed in July 2007 when the security forces raided the mosque. Lal Masjid had also described the JuA as an anti-Islam and anti-state group for attacks on civilians.

It is tradition in TTP to rebel against its leadership. In September 2014, differences within TTP deepened which resulted in formation of new splinter group JuA after the expulsion of a commander from parent outfit. TTP leadership removed Commander Abdulwaki, alias Omar Khalid Khorasani from the position of chief of Mohmand agency unity and also cancelled his basic membership. Differences in Taliban ranks deepened at a time when they were under attack by the security forces in their sanctuary of Kunar Afghanistan. Differences always remain in the Taliban ranks but their brand of Sharia always failed to resolve them, even instead their disputes declared varieties of Sharia under different TTP factions. If it is all about Sharia than resolution of any dispute in TTP is very simple but it is rather clash about the distribution of their foreign masters’ funds that always remain bone of contention. Additionally, the long charge sheets against TTP leadership caused frequent splits as they are frequently being accused of serving their personal and foreign interests.

It was JuA un-Islamic policies and relation with secret agencies hostile to Pakistan that disappointed many leaders who additionally had been frustrated from assault of Pak Army under operation Radd ul Fasaad (RUF). All these factors collectively forced the group’s senior leader and spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan to surrender in front of the security forces in April 2014.  It was considered a serious blow to the terrorist outfit as he issued a charge sheet in a video as well as in an interview to a private TV channel against JuA and TTP leaders, particularly both groups’ links with regional intelligence networks.  Similarly, in April 2017 eight other important members of the JuA had laid down their weapons and surrendered before the Army in Mohmand Agency. Operation RUF is continued successfully while these terrorist organizations are frequently been being exposed. The Pakistan Army with the support of entire nation is determined to take operation RUF to its logical conclusion as operation Khyber-4. The losses and splits in terror organizations under operation RUF can be clearly seen in continuation of the earlier operations with the support of the people and the institutions.

Pakistan Army dislodged the facilitators and abettors of militants and broken their connection with their leadership sitting across the border. The writ of the state was being restored and no power could fight the state as Pakistan has made a lot of progress, but more work needs to be done. The only development in terrorist circles is that while sitting in sanctuaries of Afghan safe heavens, they are further splinting over policies and tactics after failure in executing any harm to Pakistan.  Border management mechanism and active surveillance on the borders has ruined cross border operation of TTP, its factions and other terrorist organizations. The army along with FC would build 338 check posts by 2019 to strengthen border with Afghanistan, besides fencing it along KPK and FATA. 42 forts had already been built; while 63 more would be built along the Pak-Afghan border.

There is lack of leadership quality in TTP that they had been involved in bloody internal clashes that has even taken lives of their known members. Ehsan Ullah Ehsan in a statement prior surrender said that the leadership of TTP had no policy to deal with this situation and disclosed that nearly 200 Taliban from Mehsud tribe have lost lives as the result of internal fighting. Taliban had killed the TTP Rawalpindi chief Commander Nadeem Abbas alias Enteqami but his killers have not yet been brought to justice by TTP leadership. It is still a mystery as to who has killed the members of central council Asmatullah Shaheen Bitani and Tairq Afridi. These fasadis terrorist organizations are constantly splinting and further weakened as all Pakistanis stand united with its Army against 'fasaad and fasadis' together.