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| Image: Wiki Commons |
By Umair Jamal
Pakistan needs to address the underlying ideologies driving radicalization within its borders.
The start of the new year has been brutally effective for terrorists in Pakistan: more than 60 people have already lost their lives in terror-related incidents. The Pakistani Taliban’s name has resurfaced again, which has renewed existing concerns that the Taliban insurgency–even if reduced–has survived and retained its previous ability to strike back.
The Pakistani Taliban’s resurgence has taken place at a time when other militant groups are trying to fill the vacuum left by the former–the group has been on the run due to a military operation against them. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and groups associated with it are posing a serious threat in this regard. The group has been actively looking for recruits in the country. A week ago, dozens of suspects across the country were detained by security agencies in connection with the group. Moreover, reportedly, the group has established regional chapters across the country.
The group’s ideology and propaganda tactics make it far more lethal than any other group with militant roots in the country. Its virtual presence across the globe has turned it into a successful terror brand, which every militant group wishes to follow or imitate. The recent attacks in Jakarta are an example that ISIS is rallying militants across the world under its banner.
So far, ISIS’s recruitment patterns in the country have emerged across all societal strata, raising grave concerns for what may transpire in the future. More than 100 people, including a large number of children and women, have gone to Syria and Iraq to fight for the group. ISIS has reportedly vowed to unite all Pakistani militant groups under its flag.
Read the full story at The Diplomat