Omar Khalid Khorasani, TTP JA recently injured (via TTP JA social media) 

Ehsanullah Ehsan, spokesperson for Tehreek-e-Taliban Jamaat ul Ahrar (TTP JA) took to Twitter today to confirm the news published in DAWN media that their senior leader Khalid Korasani had received injuries during a clash with Afghan Security Forces.

He stated,

“I confirm the reports on media about injuring our respected & senior leader Khalid Khorasani in Afghanistan in NATO and Afghan forces attack. We are hopeful and pray full for his long life and good health, we appeal to our Muslim brothers and Mujahidin to make pray for him. Inshallah this tiger of Islam will appear again among Mujahidin with a sharp sword and will attack on enemies of Islam and apostate.”

Omar Khalid Khorasani was born in Mohmand Agency, Telsil Safi in 1980. He graduated from high school and studied at madrassas (Muslim school or college) in Karachi before becoming a journalist with tribal and local news agencies. The Taliban leader is also a poet and member of Mohmand literary organization Mohmand Adabi Ghuncha and is married with 3 wives.

On 22nd February 2000 Khorasani was nominated as Chief of the Harkut-ul-Mujahideen Mohmand Agency and was in Afghanistan Bagram entrenchment with other companions. He was settled on Kashmir border Hajeera section in 2003 and later assisted Islamic Emirate associates taking part in fighting in Paktia province in 2006. Khorasani then gave allegiance to martyred Commander Baitullah Mehsood and was nominated as Chief of Mohmand Agency in 2006. He united different groups and announced Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) Mohmand Agency in October 2oo7, later in December of the same year, TTP in its wider capacity was officially formed. In 2012 Hakimullah Mehsud appointed Khorasani as Chief of Khyber Agency.

Now in 2015 he is a key and influential figure in TTP JA (Jamaat-ul-Ahrar) which splintered off from TTP (Maulana Fazlullah group) in 2014 due to differences between Taliban members.

Although DAWN claimed Khorasani to be “seriously injured”. Qari Shakeel Ahmed Haqqani, a close associate of Khorasani informed me.

“Alhamdulillahh he is very fine now and their injury 100% right”

Ehsanullah Ehsan also made comment about the ongoing issue of “fake encounters” of detainees at the hands of the military, he stated,

“yesterday in Mohmand, 7 of our companions have been martyred in a fake army encounter, they were in the custody of NaPak Army for 2 years. By martyring our companions in fake army encounters they can’t discourage us.”

Maulana Sufi Muhammad indicted on “sedition” charges

(image Express Tribune)

Ehsan then referred to the case of imprisoned activist Maulana Sufi Muhammad stating,

“Pak Govt. is now running a trail of treason on Sufi Muhammad, just because he rejected the un-Islamic constitution of Pakistan. Justice would be that , either he could prove his objection of un- Islamic constitution of Pakistan. This is proof that he is right”

Maulana Sufi Muhammad, chief of the banned Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) and father in law of Mullah Fazlullah (leader of Tehreek-e-Taliban, TTP) has just been indicted in a sedition case by an anti-terrorism court (ATC). The Express Tribune reported the following,

In all, 13 cases had been registered against Maulana Sufi Muhammad, who had led a movement for the enforcement of his own version of Sharia in the region. However, he has been acquitted in 10 cases while three are pending.”

Sufi Muhammad denies all charges against him.

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad. She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.