By Sajjad Shaukat
Recently, propaganda intensified that the militant outfit Daish or
ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) has its presence in Pakistan.
Besides some newspapers and media anchors of some TV channels also
misperceived that ISIS has penetrated into Pakistan. In fact, they made
their observation on the basis of media announcements by the banned
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leaders and Indian media.
Although ISIS does not exist in Pakistan, yet Pakistan government,
law-enforcing agencies, media and civil society must exercise high
degree of vigilance against any possible ingress by any elements like
ISIS. Despite this, existence of ISIS in Pakistan needs special
analysis, as its presence can not merely be propagated on the basis of
wall chalking or media announcements of the TTP leaders and India.
As regards this militant outfit, on 29 June 2014, ISIS proclaimed a
worldwide caliphate by its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, based in Iraq.
It claims religious, political and military authority over all Muslims,
while ISIS’s actions have been widely criticized around the world, with
many Islamic communities judging the group to be unrepresentative of
Islam. One of ISIS’s goals has been to establish a radical Sunni Islamic
state in Iraq and the Levant region, which covers Syria, Jordan,
Israel, Palestine etc., and southern region of Turkey. It is widely
known for its violent propaganda which includes Internet videos of
beheadings. The UNO and Amnesty International have held this group
responsible for human rights abuses and war crimes. ISIS group has been
designated as a terrorist organization by the UNO and the European
Union.
Some reports suggest that as part of the double game, American CIA
has also been supporting the militants of the ISIS to overthrow the Shia
regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Another aim is to spread
sectarian violence in the Islamic countries.
However, besides some Islamic countries, a majority of the religious
extremists from the Western World and especially India has joined the
ISIS. In this context, a deliberate oblivion on the part of the West
about ISIS recruits from their countries also exposes their duplicity
and hypocrisy.
It is notable that although various kinds of terror attacks in
Pakistan have been conducted by the TTP and its banned affiliated groups
in the past few years, yet the massacre of 132 school children at Army
Public School and College in Peshawar on December 16, 2014 proved a
watershed, as it has given a final wake up call to the nation to unite
against these ruthless terrorists.
In this respect, the armed forces of Pakistan have conducted several
successful military operations against the terrorists; the most recent
one being operation Zarb-e-Azb, which has successfully broken the
backbone of militants. Frustrated by their failures, these insurgents
are resorting to coward acts like attack on innocent children in
Peshawar.
Taking note of the school attack, Chief of Army Staff Gen. Raheel
Sharif has himself started supervising the military action against
terrorists, and as part of the operation, several terrorists have been
killed during air strikes. Gen. Raheel stated, “We are extremely
saddened, but our resolve has taken new height”, and added “We will
continue to go after the inhuman beasts, their facilitators till their
final elimination.”
Undoubtedly, as a result of ongoing operations in Waziristan and
Khyber Agency especially operation Zarb-e-Azb, militants are finding no
place other than Afghanistan to flee and save their skin.
In this context, Gen. Raheel accompanied by the DG of Inter-Services
Intelligence agency (ISI), rushed to Kabul on December 17, 2014. During
his meeting with his Afghan counterpart, President Ashraf Ghani and the
ISAF commander, he presented evidence of the Peshawar massacre’s linkage
with TTP sanctuaries in Afghan provinces of Kunar and Nuristan. He also
asked the extradition of TTP chief Mullah Fazlluah, and handing over to
Pakistan. In response, they assured him to take action against the TTP.
In fact, Afghanistan has become a hub of anti-Pakistan activities
from where external secret agencies, especially Indian RAW are sending
logistic support to Baloch separatist elements and TTP insurgents in
Pakistan. Posing themselves as Pakistani Taliban, these enemies have
joined TTP and other banned extremist outfits. In the recent years,
especially TTP’s insurgents and its affiliated banned groups conducted
many terror-activities in various regions of the country like suicide
attacks, ruthless beheadings of tribesmen, assaults on security
personnel and prominent figures including Shias, Ahmadis, Sufis,
Christians and Sikhs as part of the scheme to create chaotic situation
in the country.
It is of particular attention that spokesman of the Al-Qaeda in the
Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), Usama Mehmood and some other militant groups
have also condemned the TTP in relation to the massacre of innocent
children at Peshawar school.
Nevertheless, after Peshawar incident, strong public reaction against
extremism/terrorism and dislike for Taliban/TTP elements—has been
equally condemned by the political leadership as a national policy,
showing solidarity with the armed forces. In this connection, on January
2, this year, political and military leaders agreed on a draft of
legislative measures which would pave the way for establishment of
special military trial courts. The participants also reiterated the
commitment for dismantling and destroying all forms of terrorism and
terrorist networks operating within the country. It was unanimously
resolved that the 20 points enunciated in the All Parties Conference
(APC) Resolution of December 24, 2014 shall be acted upon
expeditiously—the bill as 22nd (Constitutional) Amendment, will be
enforced soon after its approval from the parliament.
Meanwhile, media has reported that an Indian person namely Mehdi
Masoor of Banglore remained affiliated with ISIS, and is running a
pro-ISIS tweeter account. So question arises as to how India justifies
its propaganda of ISIS linkage with Pakistan? As a matter of fact, New
Delhi has been frustrated by the successes achieved against the
Taliban/TTP insurgents by Zarb-e-Azb. Therefore, sinister aim of Indian
false propaganda about the presence of ISIS in Pakistan is to distort
country’s image in the eyes of international community, while ISIS does
not exist in Pakistan.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the
book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous
Shift in International Relations
Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com
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