Before going into the details of the "Local Financial Sources or Sources of Income" of Taliban militants, we have to know about various Taliban groups operating in the tribal areas.
Tehrek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan Mehsud Group (Taliban Movement of Pakistan, Mehsud Group): This group of Taliban operates countrywide as well as across the border and has claimed the responsibility of various attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This movement is led by Baitullah Mehsud and it’s headquarter is in South Waziristan Agency. Mehsud has complete control over the area of South Waziristan which is inhabited by Mesud tribe. Tehrik-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan has its branches in Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber agencies as well as in Swat and in Frontier Regions (FR Regions) of NWFP, like Darra Adam Khel, FR Bannu, and FR Peshawar.
Tehrek-e-Taliban Nazeer Group (Taliban Movement, Nazeer Group): Headed by Maulana Nazeer Wazir, this group has control over the whole area of South Waziristan Agency populated by Ahmadzia Wazir Tribe. This movement has no branches and its only activity is to target US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Tehrek-e-Taliban Gul Bahadur Group (Taliban Movement, Gul Bahadur Group): This group has control over the whole North Waziristan Agency and is operating under Maulana Gul Bahadur. Taliban of Gul Bahadur group and Nazeer group target US, NATO and ISAF forces in Afghanistan and have disparity in the ideology of Jehad with Mehsud group. Nazeer and Bahadur groups are allies.
Lashkar-e-Islam (Islamic Militia): This group works for imposing Islamic Sharia’ah in Khyber Agency and is operating under Haji Mangal Bagh. For a few months now this group has been relocated from Bara area to Orakzai Agency.
Amr-e-Bilmaroof Wa Nahi An-el Munkar: It is a small group functioning in Bara and Jamrud areas of Khyber Agency. This group works for Sharia’ah reforms in the region.
While looking into sources of income of Taliban and their ties with smugglers or drug mafia I contacted many people from various regions.
On the basis of collected information from different people I can say that the focal points of Militants’ Financial Income are Afghan Transit Trade Route and Bara-Torkham road.
In Bara, Jamrud and Landi Kotal areas Tehrik-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan (Mehsud Group) and Lashkar-e-Islam are operating in full swing.
People told me on condition of anonymity that militants have full control over the area and they obtain a reasonable amount of money from smugglers, industrialists, local shopkeepers, families that have members abroad, transporters etc.
In some cases Taliban militants have agreements with smugglers, but most of the time militants receive money, either by force or willingly, from the mentioned people on spot.
For example, every year in the month of Ramadan Haji Mangal Bagh of Lashkar-e-Islam faction announces that every person should pay Zakat to him. For this purpose, he uses his own FM Radio. Sources say that whenever someone refuses to pay 2.5% Zakat on his whole wealth; Mangal Bagh creates problems for him and uses local criminals for kidnapping, robbery etc.
In Khyber agency, both Taliban and Lashkar-e-Islam groups have close contacts with criminals and thus both of the movements are "TALIBAN-CRIMINAL JOINT VENTURE".
Everyday 50-150 trucks of cattle are smuggled to Afghanistan. The route for smuggling domestic animals is Ring Road Peshawar heading to Bara and then to Torkham (or Tirimangal Area of Kurram Agency and Khost province of Afghanistan). The whole way passes through FATA. Dealers of these cattle are in Jehlum, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur and Multan. Before entering Khyber Agency, on Ring Road police receive Rs. 3000 per truck and then cattle dealers pay the same amount of money to political administration of Khyber Agency in Bara. Afterwards, Lashkar-e-Islam and Mehsud’s Taliban receive the same amount of money per truck.
If we count 50 trucks per day then they’ve to pay Rs. 150000 to every party. It should be kept in mind that the given statistics are for trucks carrying Cows or Buffalos. The amount of money for goats and sheep is less and the real details could not be found.
In this whole scene Mehsud’s Taliban are more powerful and they have some agreements with cattle dealers in Punjab. The cattle smugglers who have deal with Mehsud’s Taliban can freely move in the area and they don’t pay money to Police, Political Administration or Lashkar-e-Islam group. Sources say that Mehsud’s Taliban have full autonomy and dominance in the area. Mehsud’s Taliban has contracts with big dealers; sources say that on smuggling 3000 trucks per annum to Afghanistan, the total money of 500 trucks is received by Mehsud’s Taliban. Mehsud’s Taliban in return give full protection to these trucks until they cross the border.
Mehsud’s Taliban have ties with Narcotic Smugglers in Afghanistan who smuggle opiates to Pakistan through Torkham-Bara or Khost-Tirimangal routes. All these smugglers move through mountainous regions and in some areas they use jeeps, but in most of the areas they use mules and donkeys. Full security to these smugglers is provided by Mehsud’s Taliban. These smugglers are nocturnal and when they cross these hilly routes and enter the cities then Mehsud’s Taliban have no responsibility of their protection. Sources say that Taliban’s main revenue is obtained through this way, however it specifically not known that which percentage of profit is given to Taliban. Some sources say that Taliban receive millions of rupees for protection of one group of narcotics smugglers and Taliban’s share depend on the amount of narcotics i.e. the greater the amount of narcotics is, the greater will be share. It is pertinent to mention here that Opium is seldom smuggled and because of its pungent odour it cane be caught easily. Most of the smugglers smuggle opiates (mostly Diacetylmorphine or heroin). Since smuggling Opium is very risky so Taliban receive heavy amount of money from dealers for passing it through check points. Apart from Khyber Agency, Mehsud’s Taliban do the same job for smugglers in Chamman and Spin Boldak areas of Baluchistan. Most of narcotics dealers are in Helmand province of Afghanistan.
Arms smugglers and dealers have their own armaments factories in Jamrud, Landi Kotal and Darra Adam Khel areas. Mehsud’s Taliban transport these arms and explosive material to various places of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Sources say that for inland transportation Taliban take explosives and arms for their violent activities and for smuggling to Afghanistan they charge heavy amount of money. It was however, not known that which parties in Afghanistan buy these arms and how much amount is paid to factory owners? A person in Jamrud, on the condition of secrecy, said that in a recent deal Mehsud’s Taliban were paid Rs. 50000000 by a factory owner in Darra Adam Khel for a period of four months smuggling weapons to Afghanistan. It should be cleared here that Taliban’s job is to secure the whole course of business for weapon smugglers, both in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
For NATO supplies, Afghan Transit Trade Route or Khyber-Torkham road is used. These supplies are done in a secret way. Sources in Jamrud and Bara say that Mehsud’s Taliban are informed by SOMEONE to attack these trucks, and oil containers; Taliban are paid money in return. When asked who is this SOMEONE? He replied "intelligence agencies, army or government" he was not sure about this SOMEONE clearly but was confident about the money paid to Taliban for doing this job.
In Bara area there are many Cloth Merchants and Smugglers. Mehsud’s Taliban and Lashkar-e-Islam take reasonable sums of money from these merchants and in return they provide them protection, ease smuggling routes for them and protect their illegal business from Government and Taxation department. In Bara, Jamrud and Darra Adam Khel especially and in FATA and FR generally Taliban (Mostly Mehsud’s Group) receive money from Ice and Vegetable Ghee Factories’ owners, businessmen, and shopkeepers with a varying ratio of money; mostly depending on the monthly income of businessmen.
Mehsud’s Taliban and local criminals of the said areas are allies. They are involved in kidnapping of businessmen, industrialists and other people. Sources say that Taliban serve people in settling their accounts with their enemies. Taliban kidnap people for ransom and kill people for money. A source in Jamrud said that one of arms and narcotics smugglers told Mehsud’s Taliban to kidnap another arms smuggler. Taliban took 50% of the share in ransom money and 50% percent of money went to the arms and narcotics smuggler. The total amount was Rs. 250,000,000.
In South Waziristan Agency, Mehsud’s Taliban have full control of the region which is populated by Mehsud tribe. Most of the people of North and South Waziristan agencies are goods transporters. These transporters are under the control of Mehsud’s Taliban. These transporters either willingly or unwillingly work for smuggling purposes when ordered by Taliban militants. Moreover, transporters pay Mehsud’s Taliban when they carry their loaded trucks to different regions of the country or Afghanistan. Depending on the nature of goods, transporters pay Rs. 7000 to 20,000 to Taliban (per trip). It was said by a person that some transporters help Taliban as they think Taliban are striving to achieve a HOLY TASK; while from most of transporters Mehsud’s Taliban receive money by force.
In big cities especially Karachi a group of Mehsud’s Taliban is operating to collect money from shopkeepers, petrol/gas pump owners, public transport agencies, etc. This payment is done on daily, weekly or monthly basis. Depending on the size or volume of business the payment is carried out as under:
Sources of Income of Taliban