It is a mistake to think of TTP as a religion driven organization. First of all it is not even an organization. It is an alliance of interests. Monetary and influence interests. Let's go back couple of decades in the same area...
It was known as 'Ilaqa Ghair'. There was no governance, no infrastructure, no real means of making an honest living. People here were not into fruit orchids or agriculture or trade. For one, they did not have opportunity and also they could make lot more money with other activities. What were the activities going on there? Kidnapping of Children from settled areas like Punjab and Sindh, moving them to forced labor camps in FATA or selling them. Kidnapping of girls and women and selling them there. Illegal arms trade and supplying them to rest of Pakistan. Drug trade and supply to rest of Pakistan. Harboring fugitives of law from rest of Pakistan. Looting and plundering of buses and cars on nearby roads. This was easy way of making lot of money.
But the break came when AQ was forced out of Afghanistan. In return for shelter they offered unprecedented amount of money, in US dollars. When our forces entered to chase fleeing AQ, it was a threat to their income. So why not announce Jihad to save your free money? Many groups sprung up in the name of Jihad but actually to establish their control over an area for economic plunder. But they needed a patron to make it sound like Soldiers of Allah.... Enter JUI (F) and JI. People of Pakistan, naive and sentimental as they are rallied. Brought JUI and JI government in KPK and blinded youth provided recruits. Their ranks swelled. Swat falls. And politicians and maliks along with political agents through which Pakistan exercised some sort of control over this area, flee, leaving area entirely to them. Different factions keep advancing till Peshawar is surrounded from three sides. RAW and Northern Alliance and then ANA with Khad had facilitated and provided critical guidance. It was a god sent opportunity to bring Pakistan on its knees. Now ask people of swat how Islamic were they? From forced rapes to extortion, taxes on every business to gay business. From foreign luxuries to large collections of pornography... This is what they did. It was always about lust for money, women, power and worldly luxuries. Hell most of them can't even tell how many divine Books Muslims believe in. In the interrogations, they can't tell basic beliefs of Islam. They were same criminals bonded together for more worldly pleasures in the name of Islam, carefully directed by our foreign enemies.
TTP is alliance of these groups each competing for more power, more money, more territory. Staying in the alliance but free to do plundering in its area of influence. They killed tribal elders, anyone that sides with government and refined their tactics. They have mullahs who endorse their acts with fatwas and get rewarded in return.
So basically it is more like criminal economy at work and they will try their best to keep it that way. The solution is to capture those territories, negative and destroy space for criminal economy and build an alternate economy. Resettle people with heavy military presence and allow them to grow into honest living. This Army can not do! Only civilian government can do. Unless you establish a functioning Government of Pakistan in that area, it is not going to happen. When army withdraws we will be back to square one. This needs courage, vision, money and consistency from GoP. I can not bet on that.
By the way, I hate to say this but it will take about decade to bring situation into this shape. Insurgencies are very long wars.
