The influence of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (Isis) or Daesh is on the rise in Pakistan as the government continues to turn a blind eye. A report in this newspaper confirms that three Lahore-based families, led by women, have moved to Syria to join Daesh. While kidnapping cases for the women have been registered, family members confirmed that they made contact before moving to Syria. Media reports also confirm that a married couple…
Posts published in “Day: January 2, 2016”
As the world rang in the New Year and tolled out the old one, the global landscape betrayed the mixed bag of anxieties and hopes that characterise today’s situation. In many western and Asian cities, the celebrations were dampened by fear or actual threats of terrorism, leading many capitals to cancel the traditional fireworks and large gatherings. In other, less stressed countries, the celebrations and pyrotechnics went ahead undeterred. In the backdrop lurked the realisation…
KARACHI: Police’s Counter-Terrorism Department arrested on Friday a man who was allegedly recruiting young men for the militant Islamic State (IS) group and had sent three militants to Syria, one of whom was killed there. According to an official, the police’s special unit detained Abdul Aziz alias Aziz Rehman from Orangi Town. He belongs to the banned Jundullah (Haji Aqakhel group) and was collecting funds for the IS in Karachi and Quetta. …
The Da’ish threat is another area where the government has been guilty of complacency. Time and again, despite mounting evidence, it remained in denial about ISIS penetration into Pakistan. Recently, though, a string of episodes has revealed how wrong the government’s assessment of the situation has been all along. First a bunch of ISIS facilitators were picked up from different districts of Punjab. And now it has been learnt that Pakistani people have, indeed, been…