Ehsanullah Ehsan, once a spokesperson of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), is nowadays trying hard to achieve a good reputation with India while bickering against Pakistan and leaking sensitive information related to the Afghan Taliban and their movements.

While working full time with the Taliban intelligence agency General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI), he is manoeuvring amongst Chinese, Iranian and Indian intelligence agencies. From sending messages to follow a certain narrative to leaking information about the internal matters, Ehsan is trying hard to create distress amongst different groups. According to some analysts, it is not clear whether there is a group within the GDI that is going against its senior command by trying to have good relations with Pakistan or if it is with their permission.

Sharing some details on his behaviour, a senior TTP leader said that the organisation was wrong in trusting this man, and now his actions can cost them a lot of trouble.

“We do not trust him at all. He is trying to mess with different circles while using specific platforms and that is not going to end up well for him,” the TTP leader said from an undisclosed location.

According to sources, an in charge of a directorate at the GDI was fired by the supreme leader on charges of sexual harassment, financial misappropriation and producing fake intelligence reports that caused internal rifts among the Taliban.

Immediately after his removal, former TTP affiliate Ehsanullah Ehsan, who works for GDI and publishes articles for the Sunday Guardian (an Indian-funded digital platform) began working on fabricated presence of ISKP in Afghanistan, began contacting journalists in Afghanistan and abroad to publish information about the presence of a Taliban leader, Ibrahim Saddar, who was in India for allegedly planning against Pakistan.

This came at a time when foreign ministers of Pakistan, China and Afghanistan are planning to meet in Beijing while there is an agreement between the three countries for security, economic and strategic cooperation through a trilateral dialogue forum, to begin in June.

Ehsan published the information in the Sunday Guardian with distorted facts to create tension between India and Pakistan vis-à-vis Afghanistan. The story was published then by the BBC Pashto service and translated into Urdu, quoting the Sunday Guardian.

At least two Taliban officials confirmed that Saddar had visited Pakistan before he left for India. They also said that Afghan FM Amir Muttaqi’s call with Indian FM S. Jaishankar was to settle issues with Pakistan because Afghanistan’s economy relied on the transit trade, and traders would lose billions in the landlocked country. Another source added that it was also stressed that Baloch separatists should not be used as a tool from Afghanistan, as these designs will cost three countries, Iran, India and Afghanistan, heavily.

Since 2020, the Sunday Guardian has published many articles by Ehsan, giving space to a wanted terrorist, which is against journalistic norms and media ethics. Another analyst said that every counter terrorism expert knows that Ehsan is enjoying the hospitality of GDI and is working on the payroll of RAW.