A newspaper article does not signify the truth - it just represents a writers point of view thats it Burqaposh x.
I am not sure Saudi would actually want to destabilise Pakistan to that extent - individuals within Saudi may want to convert people to their ideology but the government of Saudi if anything is probably on good terms with Pakistan.
Iran have been linked to supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan by the USA (although that does not mean they necessarily are) - ideology and shia-sunni differences would not matter if Iran sincerely wanted to weaken the USA. I am not sure what benefit Iran would get from destabilising Pakistan - maybe Balochistan?
I heard of stories from Swat where when militants have been caught they have been stripped naked and paraded in front of people - theres rumours going round that many foreign militants are uncircumcised "Russians". Russia would want to control the region but I am not sure if i would support Taliban.
India quite naturally could support Taliban and have probably funded some of their activities - there are lots of rumours but little evidence of their involvement on the western border of pakistan - why on earth they need a consulate or embassy in Jalalabad baffles many. India naturally does not want to see pakistan there. Quite likely they would be in partnership with Israel - 2 contries remain between Israel and India's geo-political dominance - Iran and pakistan. Israel would not want to see any muslim country with any power on this planet unless it was aligned to its interests like Turkey...
America - - the USA is fighting the militants and is accusing the ISI of supporting them - some of it would be true but then many accuse the USA of financing the Taliban. If the USA's policies are in line with the Israeli-Indian partnership then quite franklly Pakistan is under some serious danger. The USA wants that every country in the world remains subservient to its dominance. The USA at this moment considers political islam as a threat - political islam threatens their puppet leaders in the muslim world. There are many pro's and con's as to whether the USA would support the Taliban - it all depends on what the futuure role they see for pakistan. A country to be broken down into smaller pieces or a country aligned to america but no longer able to challenge India in any way......The USA could support the taliban and then use it as an excuse to enter Pakistan but then it would make their job harder.
The ISI - many locals claim these militants are just ISI games and nothing more than that. If the ISI are proved tobe linked to the Taliban then the USA will consider Pakistan a threat and have to deal with it harshly. There will be elemnts within the ISI which support the Taliban - Pakistan has a lot to benefit from the Taliban as they are not pro-Indian like other Afghan groups. Remember Mushy's "moderate" Taliban? Pakistan needs the Taliban from this point of view to make sure India does not get the uppe rhand in Afghanistan anymore than it has now.
The local population of Pakistan probably have given funds to the taliban but i amnot sure if people in this day and age will still do that - over the last 18 months the Taliban have alienated MANY Pakistan moderate and Madrassa educated.
Crime - kidnappings, looting, ransom, blackmail, drugs will all play their part. One of the above posters has laughed that the Taliban tax people - wherever they have etsblished a writ - short term even - they have run dual systems and taxed people too.
Most likely that the Taliban are receiving money from different sides. A prostitute thinks the more clients, the more money.