The United States has recently classified the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and its Majeed Brigade as foreign terrorist organizations. This action took place concurrently with the Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir’s second visit to the US in six weeks. The US had previously taken a similar step regarding the TRF. The widespread presence of terrorism in Pakistan is demonstrated by the existence of around 80 active terrorist organizations in a country that is only 78 years old. Despite existing sanctions from the Pakistani government and international bodies, these groups continue to flourish on Pakistani soil.
Reports suggest that several organizations receive support from Pakistan, a claim consistently denied by the country. These include:
* **Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT):** Emerging in the 1990s, LeT became Pakistan’s prominent proxy against India, headed by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, who operates freely in Pakistan despite international sanctions.
* **Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM):** Founded by Masood Azhar in 2000 after his release during the IC-814 hijacking, JeM is considered a significant force in Pakistan’s suicide attacks. It is based in Bahawalpur, Punjab, with seven training camps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), four in Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PoK), and has recently resumed operations in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
* **Haqqani Network:** This is an arm of Pakistan’s ISI, working along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Led by Sirajuddin Haqqani, currently the Interior Minister of Afghanistan (with a $10 million US bounty), the network is seen as an instrument of the ISI in Afghanistan, supporting anti-India actions.
* **Islamic State-Khurasan (ISIS-K):** Formed from factions of TTP (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan), ISIS-K is based in eastern Afghanistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan. While ideologically against Pakistan, some evidence suggests that certain elements within Pakistan’s security forces provide tacit support for some of its activities.
The South Asia Terrorism Portal indicates that Punjab province is a major hub for terrorist organizations, with 34 active groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), which have been implicated in multiple attacks in India. These networks remain largely intact.
Some leading organizations in Punjab are: Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), 313 Brigade, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF).
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has 21 active terrorist organizations, including Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Hizb-ut-Tahrir, Lashkar-e-Islami, and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Balochistan province is home to 19 terrorist organizations, including Baloch nationalist groups like BLA, BRA, and BRAS involved in armed conflict against the Pakistani government.
Major terrorist organizations in Balochistan include: Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Baloch Republican Army (BRA), Baloch Students Organization (BSO-A), Daesh (ISIS), and Al-Qaeda.
Recent reports show that Sindh province, particularly Karachi, has become a center for terrorist activities, with more than 13 active groups, including Al-Qaeda, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan (SMP), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), Daesh (ISIS), Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), People’s Aman Committee (PAC), and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).