The United States’ recent designation of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and its Majeed Brigade affiliate as foreign terrorist organizations comes at a time when Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Asim Munir, is visiting the US for the second time in six weeks. This move follows similar actions by other countries. The TRF has also been included in the same category by the US. The fact that approximately 80 terrorist organizations are active in Pakistan, a nation only 78 years old, underscores the extent of the terror network. While some groups face restrictions from the Pakistani government and international bodies, these networks, rooted in Pakistani soil, remain largely untouched.
Multiple organizations are purportedly supported by Pakistan, despite the country’s repeated denials. Noteworthy among these are:
* **Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT):** Emerging in the 1990s, LeT became Pakistan’s primary proxy against India, led by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, who moves 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 a key player in Pakistan’s suicide attacks. Headquartered in Bahawalpur, Punjab, it operates seven major training camps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), four in Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PoK), and has recently restarted camps in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
* **Haqqani Network:** Affiliated with Pakistan’s ISI, the Haqqani Network operates on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Led by Sirajuddin Haqqani, now Afghanistan’s Interior Minister (with a $10 million US bounty), it is seen as the ISI’s tool in Afghanistan, assisting anti-India operations.
* **Islamic State-Khurasan (ISIS-K):** Formed from splinter groups of the TTP (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan), ISIS-K operates in eastern Afghanistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan. Although its ideology opposes Pakistan, some evidence suggests that elements within Pakistan’s security apparatus are tacitly supporting some of its actions.
Data from the South Asia Terrorism Portal reveals that Punjab province is the primary hub for terrorist groups within Pakistan, with 34 active organizations, including LeT, JeM, JuD, and LeJ, all implicated in numerous attacks in India. Their networks persist.
Prominent organizations in Punjab include: 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 hosts 21 active terrorist organizations, including Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Hizb-ut-Tahrir, Lashkar-e-Islami, and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Balochistan province has 19 terrorist organizations, with Baloch nationalist groups like BLA, BRA, and BRAS engaged in armed conflict against the Pakistani government.
Key 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 indicate that Sindh province, particularly Karachi, has become a central location for terrorist activities, hosting over 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).