In a concerning sign of Pakistan’s declining security environment, the Russian Embassy in Islamabad announced it is investigating reports that a Russian Blogger was abducted by the Hafiz Gul Bahadar faction of the Pakistani Taliban in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
On October 26, 2024, the group issued a statement with a photograph of the hostage, labeling him a “Russian soldier” captured during an operation by Ghazwatul Hind Mujahideen, a faction associated with the Bahadar group active in Pakistan’s North Waziristan and Afghanistan’s Khost region.
Read more: British Muslim Denied Entry to Masjid al-Haram for Wearing a Palestine Shirt
This faction has collaborated with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) since 2021, conducting joint attacks in areas like Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber district, and Balochistan.
The Pakistan Army dismissed these kidnapping reports as “unsubstantiated and fake,” with local officials in Dera Ismail Khan denying any knowledge of the incident. Meanwhile, sources close to the Russian Embassy have suggested that the missing individual may be Igor Babko, a St. Petersburg-based travel blogger known online as Vasya Shchupaltse, who lost contact after reaching Dera Ismail Khan on October 24. His family alerted authorities two days later.
The Russian Embassy, through a post on X on October 29, indicated it is still verifying the situation.
This case highlights Pakistan’s deteriorating security, where once-army-backed militant groups have now slipped from military control, endangering both citizens and foreign visitors.
Originally tied to the Pakistani establishment, the Hafiz Gul Bahadar group now operates independently, with increased threats of kidnappings and assaults. The Bahadar faction’s coordination with the TTP underscores the military’s failure to contain these terror networks.
The Pakistan Army’s reliance on these once-loyal militant groups has sharply backfired, with attacks expanding from tribal regions to key districts like Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber, and even Balochistan. These now-autonomous groups pose a serious threat not only to local Pashtuns but also to foreign nationals traveling in Pakistan.
