The Enemy Within: The Pakistani Taliban
Islamabad’s appearance is as vibrant as ever, but the capital is nonetheless on constant alert. Pakistan is being invaded by its own citizens. More than 5,000 Pakistani soldiers have been executed along with nearly 9,000 injured soldiers who fought militants on the western border. Some of the terrorists are Afghan and Arab fundamentalists who fled Afghanistan, but the majority are Pakistani influenced by external militants to murder, disable, and bomb their own population.
The losses aren’t limited to soldiers. Noncombatants are targeted as well, including the bombing of a police officer’s commencement ceremony. The primary culprits are the Pakistani Taliban. They’re derived from the Taliban in Afghanistan, and they’re more ruthless still. For ten years, Ahmed Rashid, a leading expert on extremism in Pakistan, advised on their ascent.
From having a small group that was insignificant that controlled a small territory, they expanded. They now have recruited terrorist organizations in Karachi, Punjab, Sindh, Kashmir and other places. Today, there is a totalitarian campaign in Pakistan that seeks to destroy the government.
Some of the most despicable terrorist concepts and instigators are hosted in these remote areas: a territory called Waziristan is dedicated to them. The United States’ intelligence reports state that the Bali bombings that killed 88 Australians can be attributed to this location. The permeable border of Pakistan with Afghanistan is ideal for criminals and terrorists. Since 2002, this location has been the residence of al Qaeda and the Taliban. They migrated here following the U.S.-led assault on Afghanistan.
This border is typically forbidden to Pakistanis and strangers, but the author of this documentary was granted exceptional access to enter Pakistan’s internal conflict zone. It took months for the crew to receive permission to visit the tribal territory. The army has agreed to drive them to a location that it claims is “freedom-funded”, but they must travel with heavily-armed escorts. Also, the army will have final say on what can be recorded.
