The Congressional Research Service report classifies the categories into five types – globally oriented, Afghanistan oriented, India – and Kashmir oriented, domestically oriented, and sectarian (anti-Shia).
Pakistan is home to at least 12 groups designated as ‘foreign terrorist organisations’, five of which are India-centric Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, according to a latest Congress report on terrorism.
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US officials have identified Pakistan as a base of operations or targets for many Armed and non-state extremist groups, some of which have been in existence since the 1980s, the independent Congressional Research Service (CRS) said in the report.
The report, released by the bipartisan research wing of the US Congress on the eve of the historic Quad summit here last week, said these groups operating in Pakistan can be broadly classified into five types – globally oriented, Afghanistan oriented MILF India – and Kashmir oriented, domestically oriented, and sectarian (anti-Shia).
‘Big attacks in India’
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was formed in Pakistan in the late 1980s and was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in 2001.
“Let’s be responsible for Major” 2008 Mumbai attacksIndia, as well as several other high-profile attacks,” the CRS said.
Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) was established in 2000 by Kashmiri terrorist leader Masood Azhar and was designated as an FTO in 2001. Along with the LeT, it was responsible for the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament, as well as other attacks.
Harkat-ul Jihad Islami (HUJI) was formed in 1980 to fight Soviet forces in Afghanistan and was designated as an FTO in 2010. After 1989, it redirected its efforts towards India, although it supplied fighters to the Afghan Taliban.
“With undisclosed strength, HUJI operates today in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, and seeks the merger of Kashmir with Pakistan,” the report said, adding that HUM was appointed as the FTO in 1997. and operates primarily from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. from some Pakistani cities.
Finally, the Hizb-ul Mujahideen (HM) was formed in 1989 – reportedly as the terrorist wing of Pakistan’s largest Islamist political party – and designated as an FTO in 2017. It is one of the largest and oldest terrorist groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir.
Other terrorist groups operating from Pakistan also include al-Qaeda, the CRS said, adding that it operates mainly in the former federally administered tribal areas and megacities of Karachi, as well as in Afghanistan. It has been led by Ayman al-Zawahiri since 2011 and reportedly has supportive ties with several groups inside the country.
‘Pakistan safe haven for terrorists’
The CRS said that according to the US State Department’s Country Reports on Terrorism 2019, Pakistan “continues to serve as a safe haven for certain regionally focused terrorist groups,” and that “groups targeting Afghanistan” … as well as allowing groups targeting India … to operate from its territory”.
The department also noted the “modest steps” taken by the Pakistan government to combat terrorism financing and “deter” certain India-focused terrorist groups after the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir in early 2019.
However, it assessed that “Islamabad has yet to take decisive action against India- and Afghanistan-focused terrorists,” and that “progress on the most difficult aspects of the 2015 National Action Plan to Combat Terrorism is incomplete—specifically. It solemnly pledges to eliminate all terrorist organizations without any delay and discrimination”.
On the topic of “terrorist safe havens”, the department concluded that the government and military of Pakistan “acted inconsistently with regard to terrorist safe havens throughout the country. The authorities have openly allowed certain terrorist groups and individuals to enter the country.” Didn’t take enough action to stop it from working.
Other terrorist groups within Pakistan are Al Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent (AQIS), Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP or IS-K); Afghan Taliban, Haqqani Network, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Jundallah (aka Jaish al-Adl), Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LEJ) ).
The CRS report is not an official report of the US Congress. Independent experts prepare these reports from time to time for US lawmakers to make informed decisions.
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