The TTP’s Ideological Betrayal Under Noor Wali Mehsud

What Noor Wali Mehsud has said in recent times has deeply troubled those in diplomatic circles as well as the public and religious community. Being so openly in favor of India and Israel, which many believe are enemies of Muslim nations, has shifted the TTP’s view of its enemies and driven a bigger wedge between extreme militants and more moderate Islamic believers.

These changes are not accidental. They confirm Pakistan’s claims that the TTP, acting from Afghan safe havens, is used to damage stability in Pakistan through outside influence. Such comments from Mehsud are meaningful and disruptive; they influence regional safety and the unity among Muslims.

Because the TTP backs groups seen as antagonists to Muslims, the group has drifted away from the mainstream of the Islamic world. Unlike many others, Pakistan keeps supporting oppressed Muslims, taking up the cause of Palestinians, and seeking rights for Kashmiris in all international forums. Noor Wali Mehsud is diverging from the mainstream and siding with those who, in the past, have bypassed Muslim interests in global matters.

Both in political and theological terms, the renewed arguments about race cannot be supported. For many years, the TTP tried to justify its actions as part of an Islamic resistance movement. Nevertheless, Islamic scholarship all over the world from various sects has typically rejected such assertions. “And whoever murders a believer intentionally, he will be punished with Hell for all eternity, as God loathes him and is furious with him and God has prepared a great form of retribution for him” (Qur’an, Surah An-Nisa, 4:93). The TTP has broken both international humanitarian guidelines and the basic beliefs of Islam by assaulting civilians, schools, mosques and security staff.

This separation from Islamic ethics has made many people compare the TTP to the Khawarij, a sect considered by Islam as extremist, split on religious matters, and over throwers of rightful power. They earned a bad reputation by noting that fellow Muslims were apostates and also for engaging in violence by pretending to value religious beliefs. Many times, what the TTP does and says is consistent with this legacy; they declare war not to achieve justice or faith, but only to bring about chaos and gain power, which helps achieve the agendas of their adversaries.

From a geopolitical standpoint, what Mehsud said was very clear. Earlier, Pakistan showed evidence to international organizations about purported Indian support for the TTP, and Mehsud’s statements provide further proof of this claim. If Pakistan is facing TTP attacks as part of a proxy campaign against its security and independence, this means strong international violations and a major risk to South Asia’s stability.

Such a shift in strategy and beliefs is also bad judgment. Allowing close relations with countries strongly criticized by the Muslim world for their actions towards Palestinians and Kashmiris, the TTP faces the danger of losing what support it has left. It points out that the group’s talk of being an Islamic resister is actually bogus and shows instead that it depends on opportunism to keep its support from radical followers.

In these situations, the international community must deal with problems on two levels. We need to recognize and address the growing challenges from extremist groups linked to more than regular terror networks; some now have support from the highest levels of hostile governments. In addition, supporting nations such as Pakistan, which are fighting against international militancy, not only by involving their armed forces, but also by strengthening services providing education and empowering the civic society, and by reaching out to other nations.

Muslims everywhere should pause and think about their circumstances. The struggle against TTP is an issue for the whole Muslim world, not only Pakistan. We should all reject groups that attack innocent Muslims, cooperate with the oppressive government, and misuse religious texts for their own goals. Making the main points clear in morality, religion, and tactics is important to remove the basis of false extremist stories.

Noor Wali Mehsud has cleared up any questions about what the TTP is doing and who it is connected to. Currently, it is up to regional powers, religious figures, and partners across the globe to see this point as a chance to join forces in facing extremism, renew their dedication to peace, and reinforce those values that help communities stay together.