For over two decades, Pakistan has been embroiled in a battle against groups that cloak their violent actions in religious rhetoric. Among the most notorious of these are TTP and ISKP. Though these groups present themselves as distinct entities, they are two sides of the same coin—both driven by a Khawariji ideology that has been declared un-Islamic by religious scholars. […]

A Dari-language report published by an Afghan media outlet revealed that Mohammad Hakim Agha, the Afghan Taliban’s governor of Panjshir province, has a close relationship with Al-Qaeda and has been advocating a strict version of Islamic shari’a punishments. The article, titled: “The Taliban Governor In Panjshir Promotes Violence And Religious Extremism,” notes that in most of his speeches during visits […]