Are there any ideological differences between the Pashtun Taliban and the Punjabi Taliban?
Both advocate Islamic rule under the Sharia. Both combat Sufism which they project as the outcome of the corrupting influence of Hinduism on Islam. Both are strongly anti-American and anti-India. The Pashtun Taliban strongly opposes music and TV and girls’ higher education. The Punjabi Taliban does not. The Pashtun Taliban is strongly against the Pakistani Army after the Lal Masjid raid of July, 2007. Of the Punjabi Taliban, the LET is pro-Army. Others are critical of the Army, but not as critical as the Pashtun Taliban. What could be the motivation for the attack on the police training school? Two possible motivations have been cited by some Pakistani analysts—- the US drone strikes on Taliban and Al Qaeda hide-outs in Pakistani territory as claimed by Baitullah and the rounding-up of a number of suspects after the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team at Lahore on March 3. Some well-informed Pashtun police officers of the North-West Frontier Province (NEFP) believe that t
