MLM: "Abu Zar Al-Burmi—The Ideologue Spearheading an Anti-China Message and Reinvigorating the Pakistani Taliban"

On August 26, a prominent jihadist ideologue affiliated with al-Qaeda and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Mufti Abu Zar al-Burmi (hereafter Abu Zar), issued a congratulatory statement praising the Taliban for reestablishing Islamic rule in Afghanistan. While he vehemently criticized Islamic State (IS) for its hasty and brutal method of establishing the caliphate, he complimented the Taliban for its battlefield prowess, strict adherence to religious principles, and dedication to Islamic Sharia. Abu Zar’s statement came following the TTP’s renewed pledge of allegiance toward the Afghan Taliban on August 17. It essentially signifies the position of pro-Taliban militant factions like TTP, which received a moral and operational boost with the establishment of the Taliban emirate in neighboring Afghanistan after almost twenty years. To the chagrin of Pakistan and its ‘all-weather’ partner China, Abu Zar's recent pro-Taliban utterances signal the looming threat of instability in the region.

The return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan has undoubtedly emboldened TTP and its factions in Pakistan. Influential senior Islamic jihadist ideologues like Abu Zar-al-Burmi, who commands respect within diverse militant circles in the region, could play a pivotal role in reinvigorating the Taliban movement in Pakistan, who seek to emulate the success of their counterparts in Afghanistan.

For Complete Article (Subscription), Read, "Abu Zar Al-Burmi—The Ideologue Spearheading an Anti-China Message and Reinvigorating the Pakistani Taliban", Militant Leadership Monitor (Jamestown Foundation), Vol. XII (8), August 2021.