PESHAWAR: Despite an all-out operation against militants in Khyber tribal agency, the banned outfit Lashkar-i-Islam’s pirate radio is still operational and broadcasting fiery sermons of its chief Mangal Bagh.

The militant-cum-criminal from Bara region issues daily speeches urging people to fight security forces and issuing threat to opponents – even directing his commanders to target politicians opposed to their ideology mostly belonging to the PPP and Awami National Party (ANP).

Residents of Khyber, Jamrud, Hayatabad, the outskirts of Peshawar and even Jalozai have confirmed that they receive the banned militant group’s FM radio broadcast, which may be operated from the roof of some vehicle or hideouts in the Bara mountains.

Zar Zameen Afridi, who lives near Shakas area of Jamrud, told Dawn.com that he tunes in to the broadcast daily on his mobile phone radio.

“Yes, many of the villagers are listening (to the sermons) and are terrified… Mangal Bagh often hurls threats against tribesmen calling them infidels,” he said.

Awal Gul, a resident of Sarband, also confirmed that he could receive the transmission on his radio. He said the sermons are threatening and terrify the locals mostly living near the border with Bara.

Gul, however, said that the speeches used to be more frequent earlier, but after the start of the operation they had decreased in number.

Law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted one particular broadcast of the sermon last week, and have submitted a report confirming that the pirate radio is still operational.

Also read: Mangal Bagh territory

In the sermon broadcast on Saturday, the LI chief challenges the government, claiming that they are unable to block the FM transmission and that the militant outfit would continue its Jihadist transmission.

In the speech, Mangal Bagh also warned the media against siding with the government and accused it of being used as a propaganda tool for “the infidels”.

A high-level security official, speaking to Dawn.com on condition of anonymity, said the transmission goes on and off air with intervals, but security agencies are trying to trace the source of the radio broadcast and shut it down.

Mangal Bagh is not the first militant commander to use FM radio as a propaganda tool.

Mullah Fazlullah – who is now the chief of the umbrella group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – first became popular as ‘Mullah Radio’ or ‘FM Mullah’ for his fiery speeches and sermons on his own FM station, railing against polio vaccination programmes and girls' education in the scenic Swat valley.