Worrying case of growing IS footprint in Pakistan

The Islamic State, also known by its Arabic acronym 'Daesh', is reportedly in the process of establishing a strong footprint across Pakistan, and especially in the border areas near Afghanistan.

Exclusive documents obtained by the Pakistan daily The News and from law enforcement officials tasked with the responsibility of eradicating the 'Daesh' in Balochistan and Sindh revealed that the terror group has also spread its tentacles into tribal dominant Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province as they have been recruiting young Afghans living in refugee camps.

Bordering cities like Shikarpur, Hyderabad, Mastung and Rahimyar Khan have become a hot bed for proscribed organisations widely inspired by the ISIS or the Daesh.

These shocking revelations were collected from as many as 30 ISIS militants, arrested by law enforcement agencies.

Sanaullah Abbasi, Incharge Counter Terrorism Department Sindh confirmed, "We've decided to conduct a joint operation against the Daesh."

The provinces are devising a joint strategy to deal with terror outfits based in border areas as "local militants were joining hands with the Daesh in these areas," The News has reported.

"14 Pakistanis joined the Daesh in Syria and Afghanistan (last year)," revealed a three-page highly confidential report prepared by law enforcing agencies. Agencies had also arrested around two dozen militants who were planning to join ISIS in Syria a few months back.

"About 40 to 50 young boys have left for Afghanistan from Afghan refugee camp Shamshato, KP and are under training in camps of Daesh at three different places in Afghanistan," reveals a confidential report obtained by The News.

Four ISIS militants were also believed to be planning to expand small networks across the province. Umar Muhammad, who lived in Dagi Jadeed, was campaigning for the ISIS in Shahi Bala Peshawar.

Maghfarullah, who lived in Dagi Jadeed Tapi, also supported him. Mir Haidar was trying to establish his own network in Mohalla Shaheed Palosai where Mohibullah supported him. He expanded his network to Farmani Chowk. They were publishing a pamphlet which reads: "Polio vaccination is treatment or the growth reduction of Ummat-e-Muslima".

The report also reveals how the ISIS inspired Pakistani youth to run their own small networks and follow on the ideology of the ISIS.

For instance in Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province, law enforcement agencies have named Ghulam Ghous Kumar as the one of the kingpins behind the ISIS-Daesh network in the area.

They have claimed that Ghulam learnt how to use timeless 'Kalashnikov AK-47-Assault-Rifle' online from a commander of ISIS in June 2016. He then facilitated five networks and used Facebook to recruit more than 130 militants and spread radical propaganda online throughout the country.

Ghous helped Hassan Akbar Sherazi, an activist of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, to establish a four-member network in an area of New Garden Lahore. Khuram Shahzad, Sayed Atif of Audit and Account Society Lahore and Nadeem Sheikh alias Ustad of College Road Lahore joined his network last year.

Shahzad Shafiq, Jawad Habibullah, Mohammad Nadeem Rehmani, Gujranwala and Mudasir Shafiq were other members of his network.

Chaudhry Azam alias Waqas established his own network with help of Tahir Hussain near Enayat Park Jea Moosa Shahdra Lahore.

Fawad Habibullah, Zahoor Ahmad alias Gulo, Muhammad Assad of Kareem Block Allama Iqbal Town Lahore and Ziaul Meraj also established a small network in Lahore.

IMAGE: Islamic State billboard, which read: "We will win despite the global coalition", line a street. Photograph: Nour Fourat/Reuters