Pakistan’s long-standing struggle against terrorism has taken a new, dangerous turn — not just for civilians and state institutions, but now within the ranks of the militants themselves. The banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its splinter group “Ahrar” are engaged in open hostility, accusing each other of betrayal, manipulation, and bloodshed.
In a recent exposé, a former militant leader paints a disturbing picture of how certain factions within the TTP are driven not by ideology, but by greed, lust for power, and personal gain. These factions, he alleges, accused former TTP chief Maulana Fazlullah, a notorious figure, of baseless crimes to fracture the group. Later, prominent commanders like Sheikh Khalid Haqqani and Umar Khalid Khurasani were either sold out to foreign powers or lured into deadly traps by their own comrades under the guise of negotiations.
This internal war is a clear indication of how fractured and self-serving these terrorist groups have become. The so-called “leaders” now turn on their own in pursuit of dominance, betraying the very ideology they claimed to uphold. Their actions reflect the hollowness of their beliefs and expose how little they value even their most senior members.
What’s most alarming is the impact this infighting has on ordinary Pakistanis — especially in the tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where locals continue to suffer due to militant violence, instability, and the absence of consistent governance.
These revelations must serve as a wake-up call for both the public and the state: the militants are not freedom fighters or ideological warriors — they are warlords fighting for power, money, and survival. Their internal collapse presents an opportunity for the state to further weaken them, expose their hypocrisies, and protect innocent lives.
Militants are not just enemies of the state — they are now enemies of each other. This infighting is not just a crack in their unity — it is the beginning of their downfall.
