The Pakistani Taliban on Monday denied reports made over the weekend that it had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State movement fighting in Syria and Iraq, saying that its statement to the media had been misinterpreted.
The group's spokesman Shahid Shahidullah said that a statement on Saturday had been intended as an expression of support for all Islamist militants fighting in Syria and Iraq and struggling against Western interests.
"Some media did not publish our statement correctly," Shahidullah told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location. "We are not supporting any specific group in Syria or Iraq; all groups there are noble and they are our brothers."
On Saturday, Shahidullah said the Taliban would offer "every possible support" to Islamic State, a statement which several media outlets, including Reuters, reported as a declaration of allegiance to the group.
The Islamic State group, which controls swaths of land in Syria and Iraq, has been making inroads into South Asia, which has traditionally been dominated by local Taliban insurgencies against both the Pakistan and Afghanistan governments.
Defense analyst
Speaking to VOA's Urdu news service, former Pakistani Lieutanent General and defense analyst Talat Massood said the announcement is aimed at increasing pressure on Pakistan's government.
"They [Pakistani Taliban] are trying to give the message that we are close to them [Islamic State militants] and share their ideology,” Massood said. “And we will gain strength from each other. Taliban are actually trying to put psychological pressure on the government.”
Islamic State activists have been spotted recently in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, distributing pamphlets praising the group. Islamic State flags have also been seen at street rallies in Indian-administered Kashmir.
The trend has been of growing concern to global powers struggling to keep up with the fast-changing nature of the international Islamist insurgency.
In a message marking the Muslim holy festival of Eid al-Adha, the Pakistani Taliban said they fully supported Islamic State goals.
“Oh, our brothers, we are proud of you in your victories. We are with you in your happiness and your sorrow,” Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said in a statement sent to Reuters by email from an unknown location.
“In these troubled days, we call for your patience and stability, especially now that all your enemies are united against you. Please put all your rivalries behind you...," the statement continued.
“All Muslims in the world have great expectations of you. ... We are with you, we will provide you with Mujahideen [fighters] and with every possible support," it also said.
Military operation
Pakistan's military is conducting an operation against the TTP and its affiliated groups in the North Wazirstan area of the country.
Another defense analyst told VOA Urdu the ongoing operation must succeed to stop Pakistani Taliban from expanding their terror network.
Mahmood Shah, a defense analyst, said there is a full-fledged operation against the Taliban and they have been forced to leave their bases. Now it is difficult for them to coordinate among themselves, but they are still capable of carrying out terrorist attacks, Shah said.
The statement, released in Urdu, Pashto and Arabic, was sent after Islamic State militants beheaded British aid worker Alan Henning in a video posted on Friday, triggering condemnation by the British and U.S. governments.
It also came despite recent speculation that the Taliban leadership, whose goal is to topple the government and set up a Sharia state, is actually wary of the Islamic State group, which is driven by different ambitions that have little to do with South Asia.
The Pakistani Taliban, funded by local as well as foreign charity donations from wealthy supporters in the Gulf and elsewhere, operate separately from the Afghan insurgents of the same name, but are loosely aligned with them.
Further regional turmoil
There are concerns about further turmoil in the region as most U.S.-led foreign troops withdraw from Afghanistan this year, with groups like the Haqqani network likely to exploit the security vacuum to strengthen their hold on Afghan regions.
The Haqqani network, despite being based in Pakistan, is narrowly focused on its insurgency in Afghanistan and has not commented on Islamic State-related developments.
The Pakistani Taliban have been beset by bitter internal rivalries over the past year, with the influential Mehsud tribal faction of the group refusing to accept the authority of Mullah Fazlullah, who came to power in late 2013.
The Islamic State group, in an effort to extend its global reach, could exploit these rivalries to its advantage, wading into a region ripe with fierce anti-Western ideology and full of young unemployed men ready to take up guns and fight for Islam.
VOA's Urdu news service contributed to this report. Material for this report came from Reuters.
Correction: An earlier draft of this report stated the Pakistani Taliban had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State militant group. The intent of the statement has since been clarified as an expression of support, not allegiance. VOA regrets the error.
