The Afghan Taliban chief, Mullah Omar, has once again declared that those blowing up madrassas, schools and hospitals are not at all the Taliban but agents of the enemy and they are not even Muslim. He said in an e-mail message to news agencies and media houses on March 27 that the Taliban do not believe in terrorism, nor are involved in acts of terror, extremism or militancy. He challenged the Afghan government and asked to provide any kind of proof, if any, against the Taliban. The enemy, he said, wants to give bad name to the Taliban who know better than anyone else the significance of knowledge and education, and the sanctity of madrassas, schools and hospitals. Those conducting such acts are not from us, he reiterated.
This is not the first time Mullah Omar has disowned the so-called Taliban. In an earlier letter to the Pakistani government officials, he had clearly announcing that the those impersonating as Taliban and conducting attacks against the security forces, government buildings and educational institutions or hospitals have nothing to do with the Afghan Taliban.
This fact was endorsed by the slain Pakistani Col Imam, who claimed in a TV interview to have the copy of Mullah Omars letter. Mullah Omar has time and again warned the Pakistani Taliban not to name themselves as Taliban or else stop attacking the security forces personnel as the Afghan Taliban have no enmity against our Pakistani brothers who had helped the Afghans in their hour of trial.
It is obvious that the Taliban in Pakistan, who have now more than 13 organisations, including the Pashtun Taliban, Punjabi Taliban and Siraiki Taliban or TT-Punjab and TT-Pakistan, do not accept the command of Mullah Omar, rather they are being directed, funded, fuelled and armed by the anti-state elements.
It is upon us now to identify and expose the agents of the enemy and fight against them. The only way forward is to get united and not to surrender to the enemy tactics or insinuations.
ALYA ALVI
Rawalpindi