Pakistan faces a devastating outbreak of terrorist violence in 2025, learning a precious lesson: the so-called religious war turned out to be a mere disguise of gain and extortion. Though militant sects such as Hafiz Gul Bahadur, TTP, IMP, and Jaish al-Fursan preach of fighting on behalf of the glory of Islam, their deeds paint a deeper picture. These organizations have transformed themselves into vicious gangs that invade and instill fear and threat on people to fulfill their selfish desires based on fear and violence.

Militants use jihad as a cover for greed, extortion, and violence against innocent civilians.

Peace, justice, and compassion are the positions promoted by Islam, as well as by all of the major religions. According to the Quran, real jihad is a war of justice, self-restraint, and protection of the weak, and this is not turning into an aggressive crusade to benefit themselves. The activities by these militant groups contradict the premises of the Islam they purport to protect.

A particular example of such manipulation was the event of July 4, 2025, in Lakki Marwat, where militants blew up a deserted police check post not to make a stand of defiance against tyranny and injustice, but to blackmail the construction companies charged with establishing it again. This is nothing close to the noble battle in the name of justice as the idea of jihad implies. It is brutal and is perpetrated without an ideological purpose but with a greed of monopolizing money. Likewise, militants entered the houses of government workers on the same day in Toi Kullah and created fear in the minds of the innocent. Least of all these attacks are a religious crusade; rather, they are based on extortion and intimidation.

The other incident of this false jihad was on June 28, whereby a suicide attack by the faction of Hafiz Gul Bahadur killed 13 soldiers at Mir Ali. After this burst of violence, the militant forces started extorting the local communities in the form of protection fees. The message was received because the war would continue, unless we did what they wanted. It is an effort to control and take money out of vulnerable groups by inflicting violence; this is not a fight over justice.

Conservation of innocent life is the key in Islam. In the Quran, it is written clearly that whoever kills a soul, it would be as though he killed all humans altogether (Quran 5:32). However, these militants have killed innocent people, kidnapped others, and ruined lives in the guise of jihad. Another example of what these militants do with their violent actions when presented with an opportunity to garner personal gain is the hijacking of the Jaffar Express on March 11, 2025. They held 450 passengers hostage and killed eight, and it did not want political or religious change but cold hard cash. The activities conducted by them are invalid concerning the real meaning of the life of a Muslim: to save life, to preserve God-given dignity, to be just and merciful.

The hijacking of Jaffar Express shows militants prioritize ransom over political or religious goals.

As revealed by the bombing of one of the peace committee’s offices in Wana on April 28, 2025, the real face of these groups is seen. The peace committee was one of the conventional jirga organizations that were aimed at building stability and peaceful approach to resolving conflicts in an area that was chronically dominated by violence. This however, was seen as a threat to their capability of extracting money and inducing fear by the militants. They raised their voices showing that they do not want peace they want power and profit when they bombed the office and killed seven civilians.

The latest assaults of infrastructure and gas drilling firms in regions such as Dera Ismail Khan also serve as a good example that these militants do not serve a religious cause, but that they are beasts- seeking to control the economics of the local people. They demand a so-called “protection money” from businesses and communities, and this is the real sign of their priorities: not ideological or religious reasons, but profits and authority.

In spite of all these militant measures, the strength of the Pakistani people is not destroyed. The people, security agencies and civil administration are rebuilding and restoring what they have lost all over the country. Be it schools, be it roads, be it business, the message of people of Pakistan is very clear- they are not going to be cowed down by these criminals. These groups will not take away their religion and their future.

Attacks on peace committees and infrastructure reveal militants’ true aim: power and profit, not justice.

Although such militant groups pretend that they are fighting in the name of Islamic beliefs, in a real sense, what they are doing is just weakening those factors that make Islam noble and just. They target weak, they sabotage communities, and they sow fear as they hide behind the disguise of jihad. But at its root, Islam is the religion of peace, mercy, and compassion. The activities of these militants are not calibrated to the Quran or the example of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Rather, they are a perversion of faith, an exploitation of religious feeling to serve some personal end.

The Pakistani people are in solidarity to oppose such fraudulent self-proclaimed jihadists. They will not permit fear-mongers who make a living out of tearing apart their country. It will be time that we all acknowledge that this is not a war against the state, but the criminals who want to use religion as a tool to achieve their selfish ambitions. The health of the nation is in its endurance, as well as in the care to maintain values of peace, justice, and compassion, which these militants are so shamefully spitting on.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.