Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, the media wing of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), known as ‘Umar Media,’ has intensified its operations.
This development has played a significant role in the recent increase in TTP’s activities. The media wing is named after the Afghan Taliban’s founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar, and operates under TTP’s so-called ‘Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.’
Yesterday, through this media wing, an announcement was made inviting followers of Umar Media who have writing skills to submit articles in Urdu for the publication, sending them to a specified ID.
‘Umar Media’ publishes audio, video, and text content in Urdu and Pashto, which is then translated and republished in English, Dari, Persian, and Arabic. This includes several video series, daily radio broadcasts, a twice-weekly current affairs podcast, an Urdu magazine, and the publication of daily statements on attacks and political matters by the TTP.
This content is published on Umar Media’s website and shared via the group’s specific social media accounts, as well as through messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram.
Those working with Umar Media often connect with Afghan and Pakistani journalists to ensure the widespread dissemination of TTP content.
Senior Pakistani journalist Mushtaq Yusufzai recently disclosed on a talk show that educated young people actively monitor local and international media for Umar Media.
Umar Media has established channels on Telegram and WhatsApp, followed by numerous Pakistani and Afghan journalists.
This approach mirrors the strategy used by the Afghan Taliban at the peak of their influence. It’s worth noting that other extremist groups, like ISIS and Al-Qaeda, do not follow a similar media policy.
The Return of TTP’s ‘Umar Media’
The return of Umar Media and the subsequent spread of its content can be analyzed in three stages.
In the first stage, it established alliances with other groups; next, a central administrative structure for the organization was developed; and in the third stage, when the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021, TTP members held in Afghan prisons were released, strengthening the TTP.
TTP’s phase of alliances with other groups began in July 2020. During this time, 22 militant groups joined, including former splinter groups, Al-Qaeda affiliate groups and individuals in Pakistan post-9/11, and local militant groups.
Three major groups among these included Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Hizb-ul-Ahrar, and an Al-Qaeda affiliate group led by Chaudhry Muneeb-ur-Rehman Jutt, also known as Commander Muneeb.
A senior TTP commander, Omar Khalid Khorasani, founded Jamaat-ul-Ahrar in August 2014. Those who split from Jamaat-ul-Ahrar in 2017 formed the group Hizb-ul-Ahrar. Both groups had separate media branches that were equally active. So, when these groups merged in 2020, Umar Media brought in skilled personnel to the organization.
One prominent example is Maulana Khalid Qureshi, who was previously affiliated with Hizb-ul-Ahrar and is now a member of Umar Media.
Meanwhile, the inclusion of the Al-Qaeda-supported faction led by Commander Muneeb has also enhanced Umar Media’s capabilities.
This faction is associated with Ustad Ahmed Farooq, who was a key member of Al-Qaeda’s media operations in Pakistan. Farooq was one of the founding members of Al-Qaeda’s media branch here, playing a vital role in establishing recruitment and propaganda branches. He founded the Urdu wing of Al-Qaeda’s central media unit, known as ‘As-Sahab.’
The group includes a large number of members from Pakistan who speak Urdu, which has improved the quality of Umar Media’s work.
Over time, the production quality of Umar Media has reached a level similar to that of Al-Qaeda’s As-Sahab Urdu content in terms of quality and presentation.
The quality of Urdu in statements issued by Umar Media has also improved, marking a significant achievement for the TTP, as it helps them reach a large segment of the population with their message.
It was likely due to these improvements that TTP appointed Iqbal Cheema aka Muneeb Jatt as the head of Umar Media on January 2, 2023. He is also part of the TTP’s five-member media commission, which assists ‘Minister’ Mufti Ghufran in running the ‘Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.’
Additionally, Umar Media benefited from the release of TTP members who had been imprisoned until August 2021.
One interesting case in this regard is that of Umar Media’s former head and chief spokesperson, Mufti Khalid Balti, who was detained in early 2015 at the U.S.-run Bagram military base.
Shortly after his release, he returned to Umar Media. Despite his death on January 9, 2022, the media group released a highly complex video in June 2022, which was presented in five languages.
Another significant aspect is that in 2021, TTP established a central structure.
The organization created several “ministries” to independently oversee critical affairs. Umar Media now operates under the so-called ‘Ministry of Information and Broadcasting,’ which has branches at the provincial and district levels, ensuring no shortage of personnel for its operations.
What does history tell us?
Shamsheer, one of the founding members of Umar Media, recently revealed that the group began operations in late 2003, but it remained anonymous for the first two years. In 2006, senior TTP commander Qari Hussain Ahmad named it “Umar Studio” at the suggestion of prominent Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Dadullah. It was finally renamed “Umar Media” in 2010.
According to Shamsheer, the primary reason for creating this media platform was to enhance the popularity of the Afghan Taliban among the tribes, particularly in South Waziristan, Pakistan. He stated that these were crucial years for the Afghan Taliban, as they lacked an active media operation. Initially, the group relied solely on pamphlets and text content for its promotion.
Shamsheer claims that Afghan Taliban leaders, including Dadullah, visited the Umar Media centers in South Waziristan during its early days, even under the current Supreme Leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada.
Umar Studio began operations in 2006 and produced a video series related to Lashkar-e-Umar. These episodes included statements from suicide bombers from South Waziristan who carried out attacks in Afghanistan, as well as stories of tribal fighters who went to fight for the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The following year, Umar Studio released two more videos. One video features Dadullah’s visit to South Waziristan.
The second video is titled “Revenge for Abdullah Mehsud’s Death,” which includes footage of Pakistani soldiers held hostage in South Waziristan, including scenes of their beheading.
In addition, there were other media wings within the TTP. These included “Mansoor Studio” in Darra Adam Khel, “Fateh Studio” in the Malakand Division, and “Revival of Caliphate Studio” in Mohmand Agency. These studios featured videos of attacks and statements from local leaders.
These local branches were closed down in late 2010, and all media operations were handed over to Umar Media. However, the local branches continued to operate independently in terms of production. This was evident in the changing quality of content published by Umar Media. Yet, since the establishment of the TTP’s media commission in 2014, these quality changes ceased.
The commission was tasked with creating a central media operation that would remain active despite individual losses. As a result, the head of this media commission was also designated as the chief spokesperson and was given the pseudonym “Muhammad Khorasani.”
The decision to establish a central media commission proved to be an effective media strategy for the TTP. This can be gauged from the fact that the arrest of the commission’s head, Mufti Khalid Balti, by U.S. and Afghan forces in 2015 did not affect the work of ‘Muhammad Khorasani.’
What type of content does Umar Media produce?
Umar Media produces various types of content, but videos are the most popular.
In December 2013, the media group claimed to have created 65 videos over seven years of work. In the past three years, Umar Media has produced 64 videos, most of which are of good quality.
Recently, they released a new video series consisting of five videos titled “Zair-e-Nazar” (Under Consideration), “Dawat-e-Jihad” (Invitation to Jihad), “Main Jihad Ka Musafir” (I am a Traveler of Jihad), “Tayyar Hain Hum” (We Are Ready), and “Mu’arqay Hain Tez Tar” (Battles Are Intensifying).
In addition to training videos and general attacks, this series delivers political messages that criticize the state system of Pakistan. It includes footage of the daily lives of militants and messages from key commanders inviting youth to join.
Umar Media has also released two more video series, including one called “Abtal-e-Ummat” (Heroes of the Nation), which was launched in December 2013. So far, six episodes have been released, with three published in 2022.
The quality of their latest productions has shown significant improvement. One such series was launched in June 2021, highlighting the lives of TTP orphans and calling for support for them.
In addition, Umar Media has released occasional videos.
In September 2022, Umar Media announced that it would launch a podcast called “Pasoon” (Revolution) twice a week, discussing the TTP’s stance on significant political developments.
The podcast features interviews with key TTP officials in Pashto and Urdu. It also includes a summary of TTP attacks against security forces, released monthly and bi-weekly.
Umar Media also broadcasts daily via Umar Radio, which includes religious sermons, commentary, and leadership interviews.
Additionally, Umar Media issues statements daily regarding any developments. These include brief claims about attacks, attributed to spokesperson Muhammad Khorasani. In 2022 alone, over 300 such statements were made. Furthermore, 70 detailed statements have been issued so far, discussing developments at the local, regional, and international levels.
Since November 2016, Umar Media has been publishing a quarterly magazine titled “Tehreek-e-Taliban.” This magazine is published in Urdu, although it initially included writings in Pashto as well. In January 2023, the magazine announced that it would now be published monthly.
Umar Media also publishes books by senior officials.
