In Pakistan Militarism More alarming is the recent spate of and most incidents Khyber Pakhtunkhwa And Balochistan are taking place, which seems to be eroding the impression of success in the war against extremism.
10 years ago only various factions of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were active against the state, but now the operations of Daesh Khorasan and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) along with TTP are not only increasing continuously but also These three groups have claimed responsibility for 82 percent of the attacks in the country. The target of these groups in most of the incidents were the security personnel.
More than 20 people were killed and dozens injured in a suicide attack on Quetta railway station today. The banned Baloch separatist organization BLA claimed responsibility for the attack.
The 2023 report released by the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies in January this year stated that there has been a trend of increasing militancy in Pakistan in the last three years.
Pakistan has been proactive in ending militancy through several military operations including Zarb-e-Azb and Rad-e-Fasaad. Along with thousands of innocent civilians, hundreds of security personnel have lost their lives in this war.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international organization that monitors money laundering and funding for militancy, recently removed Pakistan from the gray list and also expressed satisfaction with Pakistan’s measures against militancy. What did
Pakistan also tried hard to stop the funding of banned militant organizations through several measures including the National Action Plan.
Several actions have been taken by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on the charge of providing financial support to banned organizations and the main leaders of many organizations including Jamaat-ud-Dawa are in jail for the same crime.
But the ongoing wave of terrorism suggests that these groups are still getting financial support in one way or another.
This is such a big challenge that not only is it difficult to stop the financial support of banned organizations but also the Pakistani government needs huge amount of money to fight militancy.
Foreign potential financial support
Analyst Lieutenant General (retd) Ghulam Mustafa says that the operations of terrorist organizations are not possible without financial support. Strict measures have been taken in this regard, but it may not be possible to stop them completely.
Speaking to Independent Urdu, Lieutenant General (R) Ghulam Mustafa said: ‘Afghanistan’s land has always been used for terrorism. Pakistan’s enemy forces are also providing financial support to terrorists through Afghanistan. These groups are trained there and arms are supplied from there.’
At the same time, he said: “When Pakistan took strict measures, the name was removed from FATF’s gray list, but due to the weaknesses and constraints in our system, the measures are not being implemented consistently.”
He alleged that ‘Indian agencies and some elements of America are working continuously to prevent Pakistan from economic stability. Our hands are sometimes tied by the FATF, sometimes by the IMF. Now is the time for Pakistan to open its hands and ultimately cut off the supply line of these organizations completely.
Lieutenant General (retd) Ghulam Mustafa said that terrorist activities take place in the border areas adjacent to Afghanistan because they get all kinds of support from there. Apart from this, financial aid is also reaching terrorists through referrals and channels in our system. As long as the financial support they receive is not stopped, they will continue to do their work.’
A report by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies said that in 2023, 693 people lost their lives and 1124 people were injured in 306 militancy attacks.
Similarly, incidents of militancy increased by 17 percent in 2023 compared to 2022, while casualties were 65 percent higher than in 2022.
Balochistan saw a 39% increase in incidents of extremism, while 330 people were killed in the armed forces and law enforcement agencies, including 26 FC, 176 police, 110 soldiers, 11 levies, Two Rangers personnel were involved. Among the dead are 260 civilians.
On the other hand, the number of casualties of the militants is 103 and 47 have been injured. As if for the death of one militant, six of our people were killed.
Financial assistance to banned organizations at the local level
Quetta’s senior journalist Ayub Tareen says that these banned organizations involved in extremism get financial support from foreign sources as well as local sources.
Speaking to Independent Urdu, he said: ‘Since the people involved in banned organizations belong to the same area, they use local networks for financial support.’
He added: ‘The security agencies claim that the outlawed organizations are supported by hostile forces, but they have also adopted various methods of raising money locally.’
According to Ayub Tareen: ‘The BLA claimed responsibility for the explosion in the coal mine in Dhaka. Investigation revealed that the blast was carried out by the outfit to scare the mining contractor into stopping payment of allowances to the BLA. Similarly, extortion is charged at gunpoint from companies and contractors working on various projects. Incidents of looting of various capitalists have also been seen in these deserted areas. These arrangements have led to the formation of gangs who loot and deliver them.’
What further measures have been taken by the government to stop the financial support of banned organizations? Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar was contacted to find out about this, but no response could be received from him yet. A reply will be added to the report as soon as it is received.
However, the former Minister of State for Interior Balighur Rehman had provided details in the Senate some time ago regarding the main sources of funds used for militancy in the country.
He had said that it is difficult to identify 100% of the sources used for terrorism, but according to some known sources, money for terrorism has been received from extortion and foreign agencies. Terrorists transfer this money through drug smugglers and drug manufacturers along the border areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. In this regard, 844 cases are under investigation, out of which 498 cases are related to Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 232 anti-money laundering cases and 116 related to the transfer of money classified as mysterious by the State Bank’s Finance Monitoring Unit.
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In March 2013 and June 2014, amendments were made to the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 to strengthen counter-terrorism measures, making the law more effective and international in scope, aimed at combating militant funding. Had to stop.
It also introduced a law to freeze assets of militants, which has been sent to the Law and Justice Division for final review.
The State Bank has also issued rules and regulations for all banks, which are strictly enforced.
On the other hand, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 was enacted, which criminalized the transfer of funds through any communication system for militants.
Similarly, the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010 is already in force.
The government has shared the list of persons included in the Fourth Schedule under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 and their National Identity Card numbers with the central bank so that their accounts can be frozen. According to State Bank, 4461 accounts were frozen across the country.
FATF President Rajakumar said in the statement released on Pakistan’s withdrawal from the gray list that “Pakistan is now working effectively against money laundering and terrorist financing”. The Pakistani leadership has a high level of commitment to sustainability and future improvement in reforms.’
He said that ‘steps have been taken to improve risk-based monitoring, asset and money laundering investigations and prosecutions in financial and other institutions.’
He had further said that ‘Pakistan had already implemented an action plan and now all 34 action plans have been completed, but this does not mean that Pakistan does not need more steps in this regard, but that Continuous work should be continued about.
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#wave #militancy #banned #organizations #funding
The information provided discusses the increasing issue of militancy and terrorism in Pakistan, particularly in the regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. It highlights several key points:
1. **Rise in Militancy**: The text notes a concerning trend of escalating militant activities. Various groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Daesh Khorasan (ISIS-K), and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), are increasingly active and responsible for a majority of attacks on security personnel.
2. **Recent Attacks**: A specific example of violence is given with a suicide attack at Quetta railway station, which resulted in significant casualties and was claimed by the BLA.
3. **Impact of Military Operations**: The report mentions that Pakistan has undertaken military operations, such as Zarb-e-Azb and Rad-e-Fasaad, aimed at combating militancy. However, despite these efforts, the increasing number of attacks suggests ongoing challenges.
4. **Financial Dynamics**: The financing of militant organizations is discussed, indicating that these groups still receive financial support, both locally and from foreign sources, particularly through Afghanistan. The text emphasizes the difficulty of completely stopping this funding.
5. **Casualty Statistics**: A report by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies was cited, indicating a significant rise in casualties due to militancy in recent years, with 693 dead and over a thousand injured in 2023 alone.
6. **Local Financial Support**: The piece also touches on the methods these groups use to secure local funding, including extortion and threats against businesses and contractors in the region.
7. **Government Response**: It outlines the government’s efforts to combat financial support for terrorism through various regulations and monitoring, such as the Anti-Terrorism Act and measures to track and freeze the assets of militants.
8. **International Scrutiny and Support**: The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recently removed Pakistan from its gray list, citing satisfactory measures against militancy. However, the ongoing violence suggests that the systemic issues related to militant financing and support networks remain unresolved.
the information depicts a complicated landscape where despite government initiatives and international support, militancy in Pakistan continues to pose severe challenges, driven by both local dynamics and regional geopolitical factors.