What motivates Taliban?

This is one of the reason which motivates Taliban. They have great support from local population.

DAWN.COM | Front Page | Taliban launch fund-raising campaign

**KOHAT, Oct 18: Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan has started a fund-raising campaign in the Orakzai Agency and parts of the Kurram Agency and Hangu. **

**Sources said the TTP men were asking tribesmen to donate generously because the conflict in South Waziristan was likely to be a long one. **

**“They are demanding cash for weapons, food and medicines because it is going to be a long offensive,” said a local. **

**According to him, many politicians, businessmen, drug barons and jewellers in Kohat, Hangu, Thall, Kurram Agency, Darra Adamkhel and Bannu have been making periodic payments to the Taliban. **

**“So these donations are in addition to the money routinely and regularly extorted by the militants.” **

**Taliban reportedly collect Rs15 million every year as “jazia” from the Sikh community in Orakzai Agency. They have also amassed huge sums through kidnapping for ransom. **

They kidnapped a local trader, Fayyaz Paracha, from the Kohat-Hangu highway three days ago and demanded Rs10 million for his release. A kidnapped man, released from a TTP hideout on the outskirts of Kohat after a military operation, told Dawn some time ago that their captives termed ransom “a kind of jihad”.