StratRisks: : There are many people in Pakistan who oppose the Taliban and their militant activities; however, ironically, not all of them question the Saudi-Wahabi ideology that provides impetus to militant Islamists.
It is not so difficult to find people in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan who despise the Taliban and their allied groups (Lashkar-e-Jhangvi LeJ, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat ASWJ etc) and their suicide bombings that have killed scores of Pakistanis over the past few years. Yet, it is not common to hear voices opposing Saudi Arabia and its Wahabi state ideology. For a Pakistani checklist of how likely is it that a Muslim would turn into a fanatic or terrorist, refer to the following article on LUBP, Pakistan’s alternative media blog: http://criticalppp.com/archives/224278. Previously, Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy, a leading Pakistani scholar, too haswritten on Saudi-ization of Pakistan.
The Saudi Arabian city of Mecca, which is also home to the sacred Islamic site Kaaba, is one of the most revered cities for Muslims in the world. Millions of Muslims from all over the world make a pilgrimage to the Kaaba every year That alone is enough to make Saudi Arabia a holy country for millions of Pakistanis. Therefore, for many Pakistani Muslims, criticizing Saudi Arabia is synonymous with criticizing Islam.
Previous to Ayatollah Khomeini’s Shiite revolution in Iran in 1979, the Pakistani state maintained good relations with both Iran and Saudi Arabia. After the revolution, it became much closer to the latter. Saudi-Pakistani ties deepened during the Afghan War against the Soviet Union during the 1980s. At that time, both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia became close allies with the US and wholeheartedly supported the mostly Deobandi-Wahhabi mujahedeen in Afghanistan.
What did not change after the Afghan War was Pakistan’s inclination toward Saudi Arabia and militant Wahabi organizations.
The root of extremism
Pakistan’s former law minister Iqbal Haider told DW that most jihadist and terrorist organizations operating in Pakistan were Wahabis or Wahhabi-ized Deobandis.