In a surprising shift, hardline militant voices have begun raising critical questions about the Taliban’s legitimacy and their so-called “jihad.” A recent post circulating in pro-militant online groups has reignited the debate, urging fighters to reconsider the religious justification for jihad in Pakistan under Taliban rule.
Quoting the late radical cleric Ahmad Farooq, the post insists that jihad in Pakistan remains a religious obligation — just as it was before Pakistan Army’s Operation Zarb-e-Azb. The message argues that the Islamic obligation to resist a “non-Islamic” system, including Western laws and secular governance, is unchanged.
Sources monitoring extremist communications say that these narratives are gaining traction in closed militant circles, particularly among disillusioned fighters who feel the Afghan Taliban have deviated from the original goals of jihad.
“This is an emerging propaganda push from within — not from outside critics,” one security official noted. “These voices are now accusing the Taliban of abandoning true jihad, raising fears of further fragmentation and radicalization within militant networks.”
The development reflects a growing ideological split among jihadist elements, with some now openly doubting the Taliban’s commitment to the very cause they once championed.
