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The Taliban's Versatile Spokesman: a Profile of Muslim Khan

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The Taliban's Versatile Spokesman: a Profile of Muslim Khan FEBRUARY 2009 . VOL 2 . ISSUE 2 The Taliban’s Versatile Muslim Khan’s Rise to Prominence fighting between Taliban militants and As Pakistan grapples with a growing security forces competing for control Spokesman: A Profile of insurgency in its lawless FATA region, of the valley. A month after assuming Muslim Khan there has been a rise in violence in the position of spokesman, he found Swat, a picturesque valley in the NWFP. himself at the center of a major political By Imtiaz Ali Swat has become another flash point in development when he led the Taliban Pakistan’s struggle against extremism. negotiations team that struck a peace deal following in the footsteps of the Dozens of military operations since with the new government in the NWFP, Afghan Taliban battling U.S.-led NATO November 2007 have proved ineffective. led by the Awami National Party.3 forces in Afghanistan, the Pakistani The valley has come under the control As the head of the negotiations team, Taliban are fighting on two fronts. In of Maulana Fazlullah, a radical mullah Khan put forth four main demands: the addition to attacking Pakistani troops allied with the Taliban and al-Qa`ida.1 implementation of Shari`a in the Swat in the tribal belt and in some parts of Using an illegal FM radio station to Valley; the withdrawal of the Pakistan the settled areas of the North-West broadcast his propaganda—in addition Army from the region; compensation Frontier Province (NWFP), they are to commanding thousands of armed to those affected by death or injury also waging a stunning propaganda fighters—Fazlullah has converted the due to military operations in Swat; and campaign aimed at terrorizing security Swat Valley into a mini-Taliban state. the unconditional release of all people forces and gaining sympathy from the In this mini-state, women’s education is detained during military operations. local population. Tehrik-i-Taliban completely banned, and alleged bandits, Although the peace deal failed bitterly, Pakistan (TTP)—an umbrella group drug smugglers and other criminals the intense media attention surrounding of militants operating in the Federally the negotiations, combined with the Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and signing of a deal, propelled Muslim in parts of the NWFP—is running a full- “Muslim Khan’s Khan into the spotlight. This allowed fledged insurgency under the leadership multilingual skills and his him to play a leading role in the TTP. of Baitullah Mehsud, a tribal militant commander who is also suspected rich experience in working A Journey from Liberal Politics to Religious of assassinating Pakistani politician abroad in Western Extremism Benazir Bhutto in December 2007. According to Muslim Khan’s own Pakistan’s security forces have made a countries make him a account, he is 55-years-old and was continuous effort to break the backbone rare talent for the Taliban born in Koza Banda village in the Swat of the insurgency. Despite successful Valley.4 After completing high school strikes against militant centers, Taliban movement, a group that in his native village in 1972, Khan spokesmen always counter government involves mostly madrasa said he attended further studies at the claims in an amazing demonstration Government Graduate Jehanzeb College of communication and propaganda graduates and illiterate Mingora, which is in the main town of prowess; Pakistan’s newspapers publish activists.” the Swat Valley.5 During that time in statements by purported Taliban Pakistan’s politics, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, spokesmen almost every day. the father of slain politician Benazir Bhutto, was the prime minister. Upon Recently, as Pakistani forces intensify are publicly lashed on the orders of entering postgraduate college, Khan operations in the Swat Valley of the Taliban courts. Since November 2007, was impressed by Ali Bhutto and the NWFP, the spokesman for the local approximately 1,200 civilians and 189 philosophy of the Pakistan People’s Taliban in Swat—a militant known military personnel have been killed in Party (PPP). He joined the party’s as Muslim Khan—has been making the Swat fighting, while 2,000 civilians student wing, known as the People’s more headlines than any other Taliban have been injured.2 Students Federation (PSF). Khan viewed spokesman. On February 15, for favorably a religious figure, Maulana example, Khan announced a 10-day As a result of Fazlullah’s lack of formal Kausar Niazi, who was a central leader cease-fire amid reports of fresh efforts education and aversion to the media, in the party and who promoted Islam by the NWFP government to achieve his spokesman, Haji Muslim Khan, has and Shari`a.6 a new peace deal in the war-torn Swat become the public face of the new mini- Valley. Part of Muslim Khan’s rise to Taliban state in Swat. Although Khan Khan, however, was not a normal party public prominence is due to the growing has been part of Fazlullah’s militia activist. He staunchly participated in militancy in the Swat region. It also, for approximately two years, he rose the party’s activities and once resorted however, is due to his multilingual to prominence in April 2008 when he to kidnapping two government officials skills and his wide range of experiences replaced Siraj Uddin as a spokesman as revenge for killing a PPP student working abroad in Western countries, for the Swat chapter of the TTP. His including possibly in the United States. appointment occurred amid fierce This article identifies Muslim Khan’s 3 “Government Inks Peace Deal with Swat Militants,” background and demonstrates his threat 1 “The Fall of Swat,” The News, December 28, 2008. The News, May 22, 2008. to peace in the region. 2 “Fresh Strategy to Crush Swat Militants: Malik Names 4 Personal interview, Muslim Khan, June 2008. Terror Outfits Behind Insurgency,” Dawn, January 30, 5 Ibid. 2009. 6 Ibid. FEBRUARY 2009 . VOL 2 . ISSUE 2 activist.7 In response to the crime, ultimately the whole of Pakistan.”15 Baitullah Mehsud, there is speculation Khan was placed in jail for 25 days on that the two factions have parted kidnapping charges.8 His association Khan is harshly critical of the religious ways.23 Differences arose after Muslim with the PPP demonstrated his liberal party leadership in the country, Khan adamantly proclaimed in January ideals during his youth. Khan claims, particularly of Maulana Fazal Rahman that girls would not be able to attend however, that he was “emotional” during and Qazi Hussain Ahmad, the leaders school in Swat. The chief spokesman this time, and did not truly understand of Jamiat Ulama-i-Islam and Jamaat- under Baitullah Mehsud, Maulvi Omar, the real policies of the PPP.9 i-Islami respectively. He accused the reacted to the proclamation, telling leaders of using the name of Islam to reporters that the TTP had nothing to In the early 1990s, Khan joined Tehreek- become members of parliament so that do with the closure of the girls’ schools e-Nafaz-e-Shariat- e-Mohammadi (TNSM), they could enjoy the privileges and in Swat. These differences have yet to or the Movement for the Implementation “perks” that come with such titles.16 be resolved. of Islamic Laws.10 TNSM was led by Maulana Sufi Mohammad, who launched Overseas Experience Muslim Khan’s multilingual skills and its struggle for the implementation of In the mid 1970s, Muslim Khan his rich experience in working abroad Shari`a in the Malakand region of the abandoned his college studies without in Western countries make him a rare NWFP. As part of TNSM, Khan was completing his degree. In the early 1980s, talent for the Taliban movement, a group involved in many of the group’s protest he apparently found a job as a seaman that involves mostly madrasa graduates rallies, including the one against in a British company with the help of and illiterate activists. His duties for Benazir Bhutto’s second regime in 1994 the Pakistan Shipping Corporation.17 the Taliban range from the explanation when the whole region was brought to He worked for the company for two of how Shari`a should be implemented, a standstill due to the demand for the years. He claims he visited most of waging jihad against U.S.-led NATO implementation of Islamic laws. A few Europe and many other countries forces in Afghanistan, and claiming years ago, however, Khan fell out with during his seamanship. Once he left responsibility for the day-to-day bomb TNSM and began opposing its chief, that job, he went to Kuwait where he blasts and attacks on government Sufi Muhammad, for adopting what worked in some transport companies.18 installations and girls’ schools in he calls a “soft approach” toward the When the Gulf War broke out in 1991, Pakistan. Muslim Khan has become a implementation of Shari`a. In early he left Kuwait for Pakistan along with key leader in the Taliban movement, 2009, Khan called TNSM a “fiction of hundreds of his countrymen.19 Once and it is likely that his responsibilities old men who can do nothing.”11 back in Pakistan, Khan reportedly will increase as the conflict rages on. started his own business and opened a In July 2008, Khan said in an interview medicine store in his native town.20 Imtiaz Ali is a Pashtun journalist who has that he had traveled to Afghanistan recently worked as a special correspondent to fight “foreign infidels.”12 He did Most interestingly, when Khan was an for the Washington Post in Pakistan’s tribal not, however, identify the details of active member of TNSM, he allegedly belt and frontier province. Mr. Ali previously the fighting.
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