The Pakistani cricketer-turned politician, Imran Khan, made irresponsible comments about Afghanistan on last Wednesday. Speaking from the hospital in Peshawar where Malala Yousafzai, a 14 years old activist shot in the head while she was coming back from her school in tribal agency area for supporting the girls' education, he told reporters that insurgents in Afghanistan were engaged in "Jihad".  He referred to a verse from holy Quran for accreditation of his statements, and said: "It is clear that whoever is fighting for their freedom is performing their religious Jihad obligation".

Meanwhile, he directly took side with Taliban and said that there was need to investigate the motivations of various Taliban factions operating in the country, reminding that the decision to carry out a military operation in Waziristan in 2004 and the Lal Masjid episode were 'the main reasons' behind the violence across the country. "Under the façade of Taliban, there are several criminal gangs who did not even spare the members of my party workers by demanding extortion money."

Meanwhile, he strongly condemned the attack on Malala Yousafzai who has now changed into a popular figure as human rights activist. Sincerely, I found the statements of Imran Khan as contradictory that even philosophical formula was not of any use. He clearly put the Pashtun tribal tradition in parallel with Islamic jurisprudence.

He said that attack on Malala Yousafzai was against Islam and Pashtun tradition. I am not going deep into it and indeed quotes from great Islamic scholars as well as the very holy Quran emphasize on the evilness of extremism. In the Holy Quran, there are numbers of verses that clearly condemn those who accepted Islam but did not allow it penetrate deep in their hearts, or those who accepted Islam but engaged in their own traditional activities.

Great Islamic philosophers also put one of the greatest achievements of religion as the struggle against extremism. Just within few decades, Islam changed the barbarian tribal groups into relatively civilized citizens. Islam from its very birth chanted the slogan of Ummat, which goes far beyond not only tribal group borders but nations and countries.

It, through preaching brotherhood and fraternity among its followers, has been trying to develop a kind of tradition which is similar and equal for Muslims of all backgrounds. In another word, religion Islam recognizes no tradition other than its own one based on Sunnah and Quran which is the obligation of all Muslims to follow and preach.

Now, Mr. Imran Khan relates to Islamic tradition while condemning the attack on Malala Yousafzai. Noteworthy, I do recognize the individual, tribal and national rights of people, but since he accredited his comments on the basis of Islamic issues, I want to tell that such comments indeed feed from his ignorance of the religion.

Because a person who issues the Fetwa of Jihad should have cut tie with tradition other than Islamic one.
On the other hand, I got a sense that he indeed does not have any problem with the Taliban interpretation of Islam. He said that there were gangs who operate under the guise of Taliban. It means Taliban are not guilty and they are not carrying out attacks against civilians, burning schools, preventing girls from school and hundreds of similar satanic deeds. He doubts that Taliban are behind such activities. Instead some others are out there that want to defame the movement.

Therefore, he can easily label the ongoing insurgency war against Afghan government and its foreign allies as Jihad. He brands the insurgency war as war for freedom. I wonder if he wants to make mockery of the people or insult his own political conscience.

The total number of insurgents of both Afghans and foreigners hardly makes one tenth of total Afghan security forces. Even in eastern parts of the country where Taliban have supporters
among people, recently there are major anti-Taliban movements who want to dispel them out of their villages. Taliban have no supporters in the northern, central and western parts of the country. However, they might recruit someone to fight in their side, but such things are

done for payment. In such case, these are not people fighting for their ideology instead fight for money which has nothing to do with Jihad.
Based on his Fetwa, Taliban fighters who consist of perhaps less than one percent of Afghan people are Muslims fighting against 99% non-Muslims, because Jihad is something which is interpreted as "combat against non-Muslims".

I don't know how he tries to ignore the reality and draw a new picture from Taliban. Both Afghanistan and Pakistan are the prime targets of Taliban militants and they always take the responsibilities of deadly attacks that tens of civilians dead. Even in the case of Malala Yousafzai, Taliban claimed the responsibility meanwhile he says that investigation should be made about why Taliban execute such operations. Taliban militants claimed that Malala was targeted merely for she was supporting girls' education. Is there need of any other

investigation? He himself dares not enter into tribal agency area which is under the control of militants last week due security problems.

I hope he could make some researches before turning from cricket start into a highly influential politician. He himself is a clean shaved man. During Emarat-e-Islami, if he made travel to Afghanistan, he would have been punished for shaving.

I hope he differentiates between playing in cricket ground and playing in the political playground. Losing the cricket only upsets his followers for few days, but playing the political game in a way he plays may set in fire tens of thousands of people.  Using "Jihad" in politics like using "bat" in cricket is immoral as well as consequential.

In addition, if he is much interested in Jihad, it is suggested that he should start Jihad from Pakistan and end the government, which, similar to Afghan government, is supported by foreign countries in war against terrorism.