A security source told Afghanistan International that a suicide bomber involved in recent attacks in Pakistan had sent an audio message to Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban's Interior Minister, prior to the attack.
In this audio file, which was obtained by Afghanistan International, a Taliban member emphasises on "jihad" beyond Afghanistan.
The security source who provided this audio file to Afghanistan International said that the voice message belongs to a member of the Afghan Taliban involved in recent attacks in Pakistan.
Expanding "Jihad" Beyond Afghanistan
In the audio file, the Taliban member tells Sirajuddin Haqqani that he did not pledge allegiance to Haqqani only to stop "jihad" after establishing an Islamic regime in Kabul.
He insisted that he pledged allegiance to the Afghan Taliban to establish "Islamic regimes everywhere”.
In the audio file, Sirajuddin Haqqani is referred to as "Khalifa Sahib" and is told, "You are our leader, and you will remain our leader until the Day of Judgment."
This Taliban member also urges Sirajuddin Haqqani and those he calls "sacrificial” friends to "rise up and rain fire on the enemy that has invaded your hearts”. He also calls on the Taliban's Interior Minister and group members to rise up and "strengthen the ranks of martyrdom”.
The Taliban commonly use the terms "sacrificial" and "martyrdom" to refer to suicide attackers.
Disappointment and Despair from Sirajuddin Haqqani's Associates
The Taliban member in this audio file expresses dissatisfaction with Haqqani's close associates for ignoring his messages and mistreating him.
He refers to some people as "migrant friends," seemingly referring to members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The audio file states, "Naturally, migrant friends get upset by any conversation."
This Taliban member also asks Sirajuddin Haqqani to keep the "migrant friends" close if possible or bid them farewell otherwise.
The Taliban have not yet commented on the contents of this audio file.
Link between Haqqani and Suicide Bombers
Sirajuddin Haqqani, the main recipient of this audio message, is the current Taliban Interior Minister in the regime and was responsible for the Haqqani network during the group's twenty-year war against the former Afghan government.
Haqqani is responsible for one of the largest suicide bomber organisations of the Taliban. His name became famous for his role in training, equipping, and executing suicide attacks over the past twenty years.
The Taliban's Interior Minister announced in a gathering in Kandahar in March 2021, after the complete takeover of Kabul by the group, that only 1050 members of his group, the Haqqani Taliban Network, had carried out suicide attacks in the past one and a half decades.
Increasing Insecurity in Pakistan
Reports indicate that insecurity and bloody attacks in Pakistan have increased following the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan.
Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of providing arms and shelter to leaders and forces of the TTP in Afghanistan.
Pakistani officials also say that members of the Afghan Taliban are involved in deadly attacks in various Pakistani cities.
In one of the most recent cases, a suicide attack in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, on Tuesday killed at least 23 Pakistani police officers. The Tehreek Jihad Pakistan, often considered a branch of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for this attack.
Following the attack, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry summoned the Taliban's chargé d'affaires in Islamabad and demanded the arrest of the perpetrators.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, in response to Pakistani officials attributing the event to the Taliban, said that the attack did not originate from Afghanistan and has no relation to the Taliban's rule.
Previously, Afghanistan International obtained a video showing that this attack was carried out by a person named Hasan Shakir, a member of the Afghan Taliban from Musa Qala, Helmand.
This Taliban member, in a video recorded before the attack in Dera Ismail Khan, asks his relatives not to be sad and to offer prayers of gratitude hearing the news of what he called martyrdom.
