In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the nation was celebrating Eid, a video surfaced on social media that alarmed security and public circles. The video showed armed militants celebrating Eid with innocent children. What appeared as a ‘harmless’ activity hides a horrifying pattern that has been affecting the lives of young people in the region for over two decades. This story is not just about a single video but a calculated plot that even uses sacred holidays for sinister motives.
Attacking Innocent Minds
During Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha, when children are immersed in the joy of new clothes, gifts, and toys, TTP operatives target them. Their aim is simple yet dangerous: to instill the idea that ‘guns’ and ‘violence’ are part of the celebration. Where children should have had pens or colorful balloons, they are instead placed under TTP flags and rifles. This is not Eid’s joy but a political and ideological assassination of innocence, forbidden by any religion.
Hunting the Youth
It is no coincidence that most faces in these groups are young boys aged 15–20 — an age when emotions dominate reason. TTP operatives observe these youths, showing sympathy during Eid fairs or public gatherings. Their method has always been: show dreams, misinterpret religion, and then lead them down a path from which the only return is death or prison — which the group falsely calls ‘paradise’.
Drugs as the First Step
A bitter truth often hidden is that the group gets the youth addicted to drugs. Addiction cuts them off from society and family. Once addicted, these young people become ‘easy targets’ for the groups. Using the same drugs and blackmail, they are forced to participate in bombings and spread chaos. Videos released during Eid give them a false sense of being ‘heroes’, attracting more youths into their trap.
False Public Support
TTP and other banned groups try to create the impression that entire villages or towns support them. This is completely false. In reality, only a handful of supporters or paid facilitators exist, while the majority of the population despises them. These groups enter communities during Eid, forcefully gathering children and making them chant slogans in front of cameras to falsely show public support. Locals have consistently resisted them, and this ‘soft propaganda’ is evidence of their desperation.
A Call for Protection
This report is not promoting any specific group but is a call for the future of our children. The TTP follows a pattern that starts with drugs and ends with explosives. Eid celebrations are meant for peace and brotherhood, not hate and weapons display. We must protect our youth from these predators who desecrate sacred holidays and destroy their future.
