ATOL: SAYED SALEEM SHAHZAD

Taliban leader Mullah Omar

Pakistan's army chief, General Ashfaq Pervez Kiani with close ties to the US

lines are clearly drawn between the militants and the military

Afghan Senator Arsala Rahmani is the main communication link to the Taliban. (ISI) had ask Rahmani to move to Peshawar, denounced Mullah Omar and formation of Jamiatul Khudamul Koran. This is the moderate Taliban, Pakistan sought to regain its influence in Afghanistan. The US came to accept the idea of "good" Taliban who could join President Hamid Karzai

earlier, Pakistan summoned Jalaluddin Haqqani and asked him to leave Mullah Omar. He was promised that with American support he would be appointed chief executive of Afghanistan. Haqqani's network has become one of the main drivers of the Taliban-led Afghan insurgency. Haqqani understood he would lose any authority and apologized saying that he could not leave Mullah Omar. ISI understood and never abandoned Haqqani.

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and his Hezb-e-Islami Afghanistan (HIA), gathered by the ISI and asked to open offices in Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province. They were urged to go to Kabul and become involved. a few years ago HIA leader Qutubuddin Hilal went to Kabul to see President Hamid Karzai. Karzai welcomed the HIA delegation with respect, but American officials humiliated them and insisted that they should be condemned as terrorists.

Pakistan wanted a Pashtun-dominated, pro-Pakistan government in Kabul. US agreed to moderate Taliban. Rahmani, former Taliban foreign minister Abdul Wakeel Mutawakil welcomed in Kabul. HIA members were allowed to contest elections.

ISI launched the Jaishul Muslim, a militant organization aimed at fighting foreign occupation, but one that condemned Mullah Omar's support for al-Qaeda. This was a ploy to divide the Taliban. Several Taliban joined. At the same time, al-Qaeda was active. plans were undermined, Jaishul Muslim soon joined the Taliban.

Western agencies took this as a betrayal. By 2007, al-Qaeda had taken the insurgency
to Pakistan's cities and took over ISI's jihadi assets As a result, a battle was orchestrated between state forces and jihadi elements.

A key, in 2005 Kashmiri militants joined with al-Qaeda and the Taliban. In 2007, Ilyas Kashmiri and Sirajuddin Haqqani (Jalaluddin Haqqani's son) changed the dynamics of Taliban-led attacks. This opened a gap between Haqqani and Pakistan.

For instance, in 2009, Naseeruddin Haqqani, a brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani, was arrested by the Pakistan. Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud (now killed) secured his release by swapping some Pakistan army prisoners. Similarly, Sirajuddin Haqqani provided shelter to fleeing members of the Pakistani Taliban when the military began operations in the South Waziristan tribal area.

Pakistan has long-standing ties to the Taliban and militants, the country is on the brink of an unprecedented showdown with militants and their organizations.

In response, streams of militants are believed to be grouping in North Waziristan; Pakistan is at a critical juncture and a false move by it - or by its ally the US - could place it in the lap of extremist forces.

Mullah Omar
General Ashfaq Pervez Kiani

Senator Arsala Rahmani
Jamiatul Khudamul Koran

Jalaluddin Haqqani

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Hezb-e-Islami Afghanistan (HIA)
Qutubuddin Hilal

Abdul Wakeel Mutawakil

Jaishul Muslim

Ilyas Kashmiri
Sirajuddin Haqqani

Naseeruddin Haqqani
Baitullah Mehsud