Confessions of a terrorist

Ten days ago, former Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Jamaatul Ahrar spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan was reported to have surrendered to the Pakistan Army.       On Tuesday, the confessional statement of Ehsanullah Ehsan was aired on television. Ehsanullah Ehsan, who was notorious for claiming almost every terrorist attack on Pakistani soil, has had a sudden and significant change of heart. Not only did he condemn his fellow terrorists, Ehsan claimed that they were, in fact, puppets of ‘foreign masters’ who had little to do with the ‘cause of Islam.’ None of these are new claims per se. It is the source of the claim – a former spokesperson of major terrorist groups – that will be of some encouragement to the more optimistic people in the country. It is important to remember though that claims such as these have little impact on the terrorist organisations themselves – and are meant for the consumption of the broader Pakistani public. Some of Ehsan’s claims themselves seem to be exaggerated at best. He pointed to a weakening of the JuA after the recent military operations – but Monday      evening’s attack in Parachinar by the JuA, which killed 12 people, shows that it retains a significant capacity for terrorism.

There are some who would argue that it would have been better to simply try Ehsanullah Ehsan for his crimes and punish him. Giving him the dignity of a pulpit to address the Pakistani public – without confessing to any specific terrorist attacks or expressing regret – is a questionable decision. There are also some who are making the case that in case of any leniency Pakistan will be operating from a position of strength and that it would be easier to prevail on the battlefield if the ranks of militants are diluted in this way. It is up to the authorities to make the correct decision about Ehsan’s eventual fate and they should only reach that decision once they are certain they have gleaned all possible information from him. The headlines, in the meantime, have focused on Ehsan’s claims of RAW and NDS funding for their terrorist activities. It is also important to avoid the temptation to forget that it was Ehsan and other members of the TTP that carried out hundreds of terrorist attacks in Pakistan. Till early this year, Ehsan was the one issuing statements on behalf of the JuA to claim terrorist attacks in Pakistan. He was a crucial part of the terrorist propaganda nexus and knew key operational details before and after any terrorist attack. Can we trust him to tell us the truth about the sources and nexus behind terrorism in the country? There is a certain discomfort that is unavoidable in watching the man who had claimed dozens of terrorist attacks now condemning terrorism. It may be too soon to trumpet Ehsanullah Ehsan’s apparent arrest and confessional statement as a great victory. It will be more important to see whether any information gathered from a man who knows terrorist networks inside out will help Pakistan dismantle the region’s terrorist networks once and for all.