The Chatroom: Ahmad Hassan Al-Arabi on Fitna al Khawarij, terrorism and Pakistan's security

International relations expert and analyst Ahmad Hassan Al-Arabi joined The Chatroom with Shizza for an in-depth discussion on the evolving threat of terrorism in Pakistan, examining the ideology behind extremist groups, the misuse of religion and the role of education in countering violent narratives.

Pakistan officially refers to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as Fitna al Khawarij, describing the group as terrorists who have distorted Islamic teachings to justify violence against the state and civilians. 

The country has remained on the frontline of the global fight against terrorism for more than two decades, with thousands of civilians and security personnel embracing martyrdom in terrorist attacks and counterterrorism operations. 

Islamabad has repeatedly maintained that terrorist groups operating from across the border continue to pose a serious threat to Pakistan's security and stability.

Drawing on years of research, Al-Arabi explained the ideological foundations of terrorist groups, including Fitna al Khawarij and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), arguing that they manipulate religious concepts to pursue political objectives while presenting an interpretation of Islam that fundamentally contradicts its teachings.

While TTP has primarily targeted Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the southwestern province of Balochistan has faced a sustained campaign of terrorism by the banned BLA, which Pakistan designates as a terrorist organization. Islamabad says the group has carried out attacks against civilians, security forces and critical infrastructure, and has repeatedly maintained that both groups benefit from safe havens and facilitation networks operating from neighboring Afghanistan. Both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan share long borders with Afghanistan, which Pakistani officials say continue to be exploited by terrorist groups for cross-border movement and attacks.

"The notion of afterlife and 'hoors'... all of this is for the foot soldiers only. It is not for their masters, it is not for their commanders, it is not for the heads of the terrorist organizations. They all know what they are doing," Al-Arbi told Pakistan TV Digital’s Shizza Jasmin.

The discussion also examined the concept of takfir, the practice of declaring fellow Muslims outside the fold of Islam, and how, according to Al-Arabi, terrorist organizations misuse the doctrine to justify attacks against Pakistan, its people and its security forces.

"They identify their political objectives, they identify the geographical objectives of their handlers, abettors, supporters, financiers... They have to use violence to achieve their political objective, and in order to justify that they invoke takfir," he said.

Reflecting on the 2014 Army Public School (APS) terrorist attack, Al-Arabi argued that violence against civilians, particularly children, has no religious justification and stands in direct contradiction to Islamic principles.

The conversation further explored how terrorist recruiters exploit identity crises among young people, the role of propaganda in radicalization and the importance of education in building resilience against extremist narratives.

"The fault line they are targeting is not illiteracy, it's semi-literacy," Al-Arabi said, stressing that critical thinking and informed public discourse remain among the strongest safeguards against extremist ideology.

Watch the full episode of The Chatroom with Shizza for the complete discussion.