Proxy wars in Pakistan

Block gulf funds for terrorists

Acts of sectarian terrorism taking place all over Pakistan reached a new peak last year, as revealed by the ‘Pakistan Security Report 2013’ launched by Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS). According to the report, there had been 208 incidents of sectarian-related terrorist attacks in the country in which 658 people were killed and 1,195 injured. The year 2014 started ominously with a ghastly terrorist attack on the New Year day. An explosives-laden vehicle targeted a passenger bus carrying Shia pilgrims in Balochistan. The attack was owned by Jaish al Islam. On Sunday a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a school in a Shia dominated town in Hangu district, killing a schoolboy and another man. The attack was owned by LeJ, which has played the most prominent role in attacking the community.

The LeJ and Jaish al Islam are affiliates of the TTP which has killed thousands of civilian and security personnel over the last few years. Many prominent ulema belonging to the Sunni denomination have condemned terrorism. Some, like Dr Sarfaraz Naeemi, were killed by terrorists for holding moderate and anti-terrorist views. On Sunday, a multi-sect peace convention in Islamabad condemned the government’s policy of appeasement towards the TTP and its affiliates. Speakers belonging to moderate Sunni and Shia organizations stressed that the issue of terrorism could not be resolved through talks and demanded that the terrorists be dealt with an iron hand as they were the enemies of Pakistan and Islam. The participants in the convention agreed to celebrate the Eid Miladun Nabi together.

It is widely recognized that the sectarian terrorism in Pakistan is an extension of the Gulf rivalries and the sectarian networks are funded from abroad. A report in a national daily on Monday quoting sources in FIA tells that the terrorist groups in FATA and Balochistan have been receiving billions of rupees each month through banking channels and money exchange companies. While it is for the FIA to conduct the probe thoroughly and take measures to block the funds, this strengthens the popular perception that the certain gulf countries are fighting a proxy war in Pakistan. The declaration issued at the end of the moot expressed resolve to oppose foreign interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs. It specifically accused the US and Saudi Arabia of interference. For decades there was a consensus in Pakistan to treat Saudi Arabia as a country beyond criticism. The media which spared none, least of all the US, strictly avoided publishing anything that could be described as critical of the Saudis. The perception of the Gulf money fueling terrorist activity, particularly that of LeJ and its sister organizations, has changed the traditional attitude towards Saudi Arabia. Presumably the funding for the terrorist networks comes from individuals and charities in the Gulf rather than the governments. The least that is expected from these governments, particularly the Saudi government, is to take effective measures to block these funds.