Rise of Taliban in Waziristan

Abstract

Waziristan is in the eye of the storm since 2001. After the US invasion of Afghanistan and the overthrow of the Taliban government in 2002, Al-Qaeda and Taliban elements slipped into this region. The existing ground realities like terrain, tradition, administrative system, lack of political power, religious feelings, and socio-economic deprivation prevalent in Waziristan provided favourable and feasible ground for the rise and spread of Talibanization. The Pakistani troops moved into FATA to expel foreigners and check their further infiltration into the Pakistani tribal land. Military actions developed a sense of organization among the local Taliban in order to protect their friends and fight defensive jihad in Waziristan and hence Taliban groups emerged. NUMBER of groups emerged, and some prominent groups are Naik Muhammad Group, Abdullah Mehsud Group, Baitullah Mehsud Taliban Commandos, Mullah Nazir Group, Jalal-Ud-Din Haqani Group, Hafiz Gulbahadur Group. In 2007 a coherent group, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) came on the horizon. Soon a split occurred in TTP and Turkistan Baitanni Group and Abdullah Shaheed Group headed by Zain Ud Din stood against TTP. These groups remain dominant and have established their own regulation and Sharia in their area of influence.