ISIS Trying To Gain Foothold In South Asia, Supported By Pak

ISIS trying to gain a foothold in South Asia, Pakistan giving protection, a threat to Afghanistan. The terrorist organization Islamic State (ISIS) is now trying to gain a foothold in South Asia, after ripping apart Syria and Iraq. For this, ISIS is getting full patronage of Pakistan.

This was confirmed by the opinions of experts in a webinar organized outside the 45th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. This webinar was organized by the European Foundation for South Asian Studies on the theme of IS emergence in South Asia.

Experts in the webinar described the situation in Afghanistan as worrisome. It is said that some commanders separated from the Taliban have joined the IS and they are recruiting fighters for that. They are also getting indirect support from Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI.

ISI is carrying out attacks on Sikhs and Hindus living in Afghanistan through IS. The task which the Taliban could not do so openly is doing the work at the behest of Pakistan. The Khorasan provincial unit of IS consists mostly of Pakistan-born combatants.

These terrorists belong to the villages and towns along the border of Pakistan with Afghanistan, where there is a lot of poverty and illiteracy. “The IS Khorasan provincial unit will disrupt US and Taliban peace talks and also spoil the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan,” said Timothy Foxley, an independent researcher of political and military affairs in the webinar.

Foxley estimates that there are currently about 2,000 IS combatants in Afghanistan and Pakistan and their numbers are increasing. 70 percent of them are Pakistanis, the rest are Afghans and a few other countries.

In the webinar, researcher of the institution, Dr. Paul Stott said, he sees a jihadist triangle forming between IS, Britain and South Asia. The aim of IS is to connect Sunni Muslims around the world with themselves.

ISIS wants to instill a sense of insecurity and injustice within them so that they can join the terrorist organization restlessly. Stott estimates that 800 to 1000 British nationals are attached to the ISIS. Pakistan is simultaneously using the Taliban and IS for their own interests. He is following the strategy of using them to pressure each other.