Pakistan divided over success of Taliban in Afghanistan

Pakistan divided over success of Taliban in Afghanistan While many are celebrating, others fear Taliban victory will embolden Islamic militant organisations operating in Pakistan The statement came from Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), otherwise known as the Pakistani Taliban, congratulating the Afghan Taliban on their "blessed victory".For many, Tuesday's message was an ominous sign of what the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan could mean for Pakistan. While politicians, clerics, military officers and even the prime minister, Imran Khan, were among those in Pakistan celebrating the establishment of Taliban rule - Khan describing it as Afghanistan breaking "the shackles of slavery" - there are deep concerns that it will embolden powerful Islamic militant organisations operating in Pakistan. These militant groups are fighting for Pakistan to adopt a similar model of strict and repressive Islamic governance seen under Taliban rule in Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001, and which many believe will once again be imposed.The Taliban takeover will empower all extremist-religious elements in Pakistan" said Ayesha Siddiqa, an author and political analyst. "The next few months will probably be peaceful in comparison to what lies ahead in Afghanistan but then extremism will start. If the Taliban succeed in any form, it will give militants reason to argue for an Islamic system to govern Pakistan." TTP, which is a banned militant group in Pakistan responsible for dozens of terrorist attacks, had already been making a resurgence recently. The group is an offshoot of the Afghan Taliban and their ties and shared ideology are undeniable; in the past, senior Taliban figures have been made TTP leaders.Among the first prisoners released by the Taliban in Afghanistan last week was the TTP deputy chief, Faqir Muhammad. Even senior military leaders in Pakistan are reported to have admitted recently to lawmakers that the Afghan Taliban and TTP are "two faces of the same coin". Many blame Pakistan for the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, with whom it has historically always been friendly. Pakistan helped bring about and supported the first Taliban regime in 1996, and after the US invasion in 2001 Taliban leaders were given sanctuary in Pakistan, where they lived and regrouped for two decades.Pakistan has been accused of turning a blind eye to the Taliban training camps in the remote and rugged border regions. Madrassas - Islamic religious schools - across Pakistan have been found to be key recruiters of jihadist militants, sending young men to fight for the Taliban in Afghanistan. As the battles between insurgents and Afghan government forces escalated in recent weeks, injured Taliban fighters were allowed to cross over the border for treatment, the bodies of dead Taliban soldiers were brought back to Pakistan and pro-Taliban marches and rallies in Pakistan's border regions continued.It is not known exactly what Pakistan hopes to gain from Taliban rule in Afghanistan this time round, though it is likely they are pushing for greater influence and leverage in Afghanistan and a regional ally against India, their greatest foe. Khan's dislike for the US-backed Afghan government, led by Ashraf Ghani, was also well known. Ghani was seen to be too friendly with India and he had publicly accused Pakistan of allowing 10,000 jihadist fighters to cross into Afghanistan, which Khan denied. Pakistan has also paid a very heavy price for the two decades of US military presence in the region, with 80,000 lives lost in the so-called war on terror.