Terror Support Networks

Publishing date: 20 July 2024

Published in: The Nation

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab has done a remarkable job in arresting an Al Qaeda member in hiding. Identified as Amin ul Haq, it is unclear how long he had been hiding in a town in District Gujrat. The CTD Punjab has many similar arrests to its credit in the past. Amin ul Haq, reported to be Osama Bin Laden’s close aide, was living in Punjab, reminding us once again of the extensive sleeper cells that Operation Zarb e Azb located and rooted out from the province. Although Punjab is not typically a frontline for terrorist activity, its dynamics point to significant facts in the country’s terror threat matrix.

The fact that ideologue-like figures, who barely need to engage in combat, hide in the province where terrorist activity is minimal indicates that terror support networks have a tendency to expand across the country. A clear distinction exists between the battlefield and the sanctuary of the masterminds. Terror groups in Pakistan are all religiously driven, so apart from the weaponry supply chain, another inevitable supply chain is that of preaching. Hence, madrassahs in Punjab have always been a focal point in discussions about countering terrorist narratives ideologically.

The most imminent threat, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), is a brainchild of Al Qaeda, and the presence of an AQ terrorist, now in custody, confirms this assertion. The remnants of AQ still strengthen the ideological front of the terrorists. While Operation Azm-e-Istehkam largely focuses on intelligence-based operations in the volatile regions of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial CTDs can complement the effort by cracking down on the support networks of terrorists.

As long as the support network is intact, active recruiting will not stop, meaning there will always be more terrorists ready to replace those eliminated by IBOs. This must be accounted for by the authorities.