KARACHI, 1 October — Pakistan-based militant outfits like Lashker-e-Taiba and Harkatul Mujahedeen, which are fighting Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir, are in a fix about whether to join the Taleban militia in its fight against the US.
But even as most of the outfits question whether or not to join the Taleban in their possible confrontation with the US troops, there is at least one such outfit that is rolling up sleeves to restart its front in Afghanistan, sources were quoted as saying by SADA.
Activists of Al-Badr, under Bakht Zameen of Temergara in the remote Dir district of northwest Pakistan, are said to be repositioning their cannons in Afghanistan.
“Al-Badr is recruiting youths for the holy war in Afghanistan and has already facilitated hundreds of youths slipping into Afghanistan through informal points on the long Durand Line,” a source familiar with the militant organization’s said. Al-Badr’s siding with the Taleban at this hour is obvious because of its birth in Afghanistan and prevalence of good ties between leaders of the Taleban and the outfit.
“Al-Badr men have Rahdari (a special travel) permit and can easily cross formal border points. Maybe some of them are included in over a thousand Afghans crossing over to their homeland everyday from formal border points,” a source said.
But organizations like Lashker and Harkat face a dilemma about what to do in the given situation as though they maybe familiar with the art of fighting, they are still not well conversant with fighting tactics employed while fighting battles in rugged Afghanistan. Some Lashker leaders believe they should send its fighters to Afghanistan. But Lashker spokesman Yahya Mujahid told SADA the group still has it eyes set on the Indian state of Kashmir.
“India wants us to divide our fighters so that it could suppress the ‘freedom movement.’ Our leadership has spent precious time on reviewing the current scenario. They would further deliberate before reaching any conclusion,” he said. Harkat, which has not arrived at any decision on the issue yet, said it was not discouraging youths willing to fight in Afghanistan.
“Our leadership has not decided whether to augment the Taleban strength for the tough days to come. But those coming to us for guidance about Afghanistan will get full support,” said Uzaifa, a Harkat commander. Uzaifa himself wants to go to Afghanistan, but he would have to dissociate himself from the organization.
