New Delhi, Dec 31 (IANS) The alliance that the ISI stitched between the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) and the Lashkar-e-Taiba could turn out to be a security headache for India, Intelligence agencies have warned.
The primary aim of the ISI was to have these two groups fight together against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Nationalist Army (BLA). The Pakistan army has been facing severe losses at the hands of these two outfits. The alliance with the ISKP was also formed in the wake of the rising tensions with the Afghan Taliban. While the ISKP is still in the process of setting up the squads to target Baloch nationals, Indian Intelligence agencies have warned of a spillover, which could affect the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that plans are already afoot to expand the footprint of the ISKP into India, with the main focus being Jammu and Kashmir. This is a dangerous game that Pakistan is playing, as the final goal is to infiltrate India. While the ISKP has immense capabilities for carrying out large-scale strikes, the benefit Pakistan would gain is the deniability factor. The ISKP is not a Pakistan-based group. It is headquartered in Afghanistan, and hence if an attack is carried out in India, the trail would not lead back to Islamabad, officials say.
When the ISKP was formed, the main intention was to control Afghanistan and then gradually infiltrate into India. At that time, the outfit was at loggerheads with Pakistan as it considered the nation to be un-Islamic and a slave of the Western powers. Now, the two appear to have ironed out their differences, as they share a common enemy in the Afghan Taliban. The ISI would help the ISKP with the logistics as well as the finances. The ISI would also create channels whereby the ISKP can receive the arms and ammunition that it requires.
Officials say that the ISI got the Lashkar-e-Taiba and ISKP together only to fight against the TTP and BLA. The Kashmir battle would be handled alone by the ISKP as it would offer Pakistan the deniability factor. This is important for Pakistan since it is being closely watched by international organisations such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
The ISKP also made its Kashmir plans clear in an article that was published in its propaganda magazine, Yalgaar. The outfit speaks extensively about its expansion plan into India, and this is a disturbing trend, officials say.
Intelligence Bureau officials say that the ISKP would be backed by Pakistan's deep state. It would also coordinate and encourage attacks to be carried out by the ISKP. The expansion attempts are just around the corner, another official said.
For now, the focus would be entirely on Balochistan as the Pakistan army wants the BLA and TTP out of its way. Bringing in the ISKP and setting aside differences of the past is a clear sign that the Pakistan army is unable to fight against groups such as the TTP and BLA.
The ISKP, which is in alliance with the Lashkar-e-Taiba in Balochistan, is currently setting up death squads. The idea is to target the Baloch nationals and also those groups that defy Pakistan. One could expect increased violence in the region as the fights between these groups would be bloody in nature.
When leaders of the two outfits met recently, they formalised their alliance by gifting each other pistols. They even pledged to eliminate everyone who is opposed to Pakistan, and that includes India as well. While Indian agencies are closely watching the developments in Balochistan, they are also keeping a very close eye on the ambitious expansion plans by the ISKP.
--IANS
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