By Nisar Mahmood
A young man from an influential family of Chinargai in Maidan, Shahid joined the Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) on return from Afghanistan. Later he became a member of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Dir chapter, and was made chief of its Amr Bilmaroof wa Nahi Anil Munkar wing for Dir Upper and Lower. The latter was formed to promote virtue and prevent vice in keeping with the thinking of militants.
Though Hafizullah was commander of the TTP militant wing in Dir, Shahid wielded great influence in the organisation. Carrying a bounty of Rs500,000, Shahid was a strong opponent of his uncle, Malik Mehmood Jan alias Chinargai Malik who had formed an anti-militants lashkar in Maidan.
A founding member and leader of TNSM, Chinargai Malik was killed by unidentified assailants when militancy was at its peak. Shahid had a major role in recruitment of local youth in the TTP besides running an FM radio in the area. It was because of his strong position in the TTP that the government and security forces had announced head money for his arrest. He was a dreaded militant accused of committing killings and kidnappings for ransom. Some people in Maidan believed he was more powerful and dangerous than TTP commander Hafizullah, who is still at large.
Both Hafizullah and Shahid had gone underground after the military operation was launched in Malakand Division on April 26 this year. In initial days of the operation, the security forces had announced that Shahid had been killed but he surfaced after some time.
Shahid had also announced quitting militancy “in the larger interest of peace and his people” and was said to have offered surrender through a local jirga, but the security forces were not ready to accept his conditions for surrender.
Educated up to intermediate, Shahid had been a pupil of TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad. He also got some religious education like Dura-e-Tafseer from Panjpir seminary in Swabi. He also remained with the chief of Swat militants, Fazlullah, before becoming commander for Dir.
His inclination to militancy, however, started from Afghanistan where he had gone to fight alongside Taliban against the US forces. He was the lone militant leader in Dir who used to talk to media regularly on his mobile phone and never ceased contact with reporters even while in hiding.
Commonly known as Qari Shahid, he would insist that he should be called Maulana Shahid. In his late 20s, he is married and has a two-year daughter. He fled Maidan along with other activists after launch of the offensive against militants.
The militant attacks forced the government to launch military operation to drive them out of Maidan. Eventually Shahid was arrested and produced before the media in Timergara, the district headquarters of Dir Lower on Monday, though reporters were not allowed to talk to him. It was learnt that he was ill and had come to his home where he was nabbed.