Pakistan has endured decades of terrorism and violent extremism. Thousands of innocent civilians, religious scholars, and security personnel have been martyred by the brutality of the Fitna-e-Khawarij. Mosques, madrasas, hospitals, markets, and even graveyards have not been spared. Worshippers bowing before Allah were drenched in blood. These acts are not just crimes against humanity; they are an open rebellion against Islam and the Constitution of Pakistan.
Across all schools of thought, Pakistan’s leading religious scholars—guided by the Qur’an and Sunnah—have unanimously declared such violence to be terrorism, a clear revolt against the commands of Allah and His Messenger and a modern manifestation of Khawarij ideology.
Recently, Hafiz Gul Bahadur,a leader of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), released an audio message attempting to dress terrorism in the language of “jihad” while making exaggerated and deceptive claims to revive a collapsing narrative. Each of these claims collapses under scrutiny.
The Myth of “Jihad” and Claims of Presence Inside Pakistan
Hafiz Gul Bahadur claims he is alive, operating inside Pakistan, and waging jihad against so-called state oppression. Credible intelligence assessments, ground realities, and independent evidence contradict this claim. He operates from Afghan soil, using it as a safe haven to plan, direct, and facilitate terrorist attacks against Pakistan.
Killing civilians, attacking mosques and madrasas, and targeting security personnel do not qualify as jihad under any interpretation of Islamic law. The Qur’an equates the killing of one innocent person with the killing of all humanity. These acts are fasad-fil-arz—corruption on earth.
State action against armed militants is not oppression; it is a constitutional obligation. Labeling counter-terrorism operations as oppression is a clear attempt to distort reality and justify violence.
Blaming the Army: A Familiar Terrorist Tactic
Another claim pushed by Gul Bahadur is that the Pakistan Army is responsible for instability. This narrative ignores the most basic facts.
For more than two decades, Pakistan has fought one of the world’s deadliest wars against terrorism. Over 70,000 Pakistanis—mostly civilians and security personnel—have paid the price. Markets, funerals, mosques, and schools were not attacked by the state; they were attacked by terrorist groups aligned with Khawarij thinking.
The Pakistan Army has acted as a barrier preventing these elements from spreading nationwide. Without this resistance, terrorism would not be confined to border regions. Calling counter-terrorism operations “chaos” is not criticism—it is ideological cover for terror.
The “Dollar War” Lie
The allegation that Pakistan fights for dollars is recycled propaganda. If this war were about money, Pakistan would not have endured suicide bombings on its own soil, economic devastation worth billions, destroyed infrastructure, and the martyrdom of thousands of soldiers.
Pakistan’s military operations were not optional or profitable; they were forced responses to relentless terrorism. No state sacrifices so much for financial gain.
Qur’an in Words, Bloodshed in Practice
Gul Bahadur insists his group follows the Qur’an and should not be called Khawarij. But Khawarij are identified by actions, not slogans.
Groups that bomb mosques, assassinate scholars, kill women and children, and terrorize communities stand in open violation of Qur’anic commands. This is precisely why religious scholars identify them as Khawarij—based on conduct, not politics.
The False Claim of Attacking Mosques and Madrasas
Accusing Pakistan of targeting mosques and madrasas is a deliberate lie. The record shows that attacks on places of worship have overwhelmingly been carried out by terrorist groups themselves.
State operations target specific militant hideouts and follow strict instructions to protect religious sites. Terrorist networks, by contrast, have repeatedly used mosques as shields to manufacture propaganda after retaliation. When justification collapses, defamation begins.
The Illusion of “50 Percent Control”
Claims of controlling half the region are psychological warfare, not reality. Territorial control requires visible administration, courts, taxation, public support, and free movement. None of these exist for Gul Bahadur’s network.
Hide-and-run attacks, suicide bombings, and IEDs are signs of weakness, not strength. Daily life continues; markets operate; schools function; state institutions remain active. These facts alone expose the fantasy.
The Myth of Self-Reliance
Gul Bahadur claims independence from external support, yet his network relies on Afghan sanctuaries, cross-border facilitation, and foreign weapons. NATO-grade arms, night-vision devices, and modern communications do not emerge from “self-reliance.”
Operating from foreign soil while spilling Pakistani blood using foreign weapons exposes the hollowness of this claim.
Declaring the State “Oppressive”: Classic Khawarij Logic
Labeling Pakistan—a constitutional Islamic state governed under Qur’an and Sunnah—as “oppressive” to justify armed rebellion is a textbook Khawarij tactic. It strips legitimacy from the state to rationalize violence.
This audio message once again confirms that Hafiz Gul Bahadur is not a religious figure or freedom fighter, but a manipulator who weaponizes faith for power, bloodshed, and chaos.
TTP’s Hafiz Gul Bahadur offers neither jihad nor self-reliance. What he offers is fitna, terrorism, and service to forces hostile to Pakistan’s stability.
Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations—particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—are constitutional, necessary, and backed by public consensus. Defeating this menace requires force, clarity, and unity.
The deception has worn thin. The facts are exposed. The nation stands resolved.
