Daesh gradually gaining ground in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: He started chatting with militants on Facebook and then learnt how to use timeless ‘Kalashnikov AK-47-Assault-Rifle’. He learnt these skills online from a commander of ultra-extremist militant group, the Islamic State (IS), generally known as Daesh, in Syria last year (June 2016).

Ghulam Ghous Kumar has been watching videos of IS fighters before establishing a few networks in major cities of Punjab --Lahore in particular. He facilitated five networks and used Facebook to recruit more than 130 militants and spread radical propaganda online throughout the country. His father Muhammad Bota was residing near Gourmet Bakers Factory, Lahore when Ghulam Ghaous was in contact with a Syria-based Daesh commander Qari Abid and an Afghanistan-based commander Nabeel Ahmed, alias Abu Abdullah to wage ‘jihad’ in Pakistan. After embracing caliphate of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi through Qari Abid on Facebook and telegram, he started recruiting likeminded militants in Lahore, Sialkot and Gujranwala.

The shocking revelations were collected from some 30 militants of Daesh who were arrested by law enforcing agencies assigned to eliminate footprints of Daesh in the country. It is happening at a time when the authorities claimed that there was no such support for the IS in the country.

Ghous firstly worked with Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. Then he joined Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's camp in tribal areas but later joined hands with Daesh last year. He taught ringleaders of these networks how to use various applications, be it Facebook or other cellular options, to maintain communications between radicals internally. These networks were operating underground and they all were recruiting new members and spreading radical propaganda online in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Ghous helped Hassan Akbar Sherazi, an activist of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, to establish a four-member network in an area of New Garden Lahore. Exclusive documents obtained by The News and officials concerned revealed that Khuram Shahzad from 534-3B2 Township Lahore, Sayed Atif of Audit and Account Society Lahore and Nadeem Sheikh alias Ustad of College Road Lahore joined his network last year.

They continued to reveal that Shahzad Shafiq from Wapda Town Lahore, Jawad Habibullah of Sector B-II Township Lahore, Mohammad Nadeem Rehmani who belonged to village Dahlaa Chahtaa, Gujranwala and Mudasir Shafiq of Block J-II Wapda Town Lahore were other members of his network. Chaudhry Azam alias Waqas established his own network with help of Tahir Hussain near Enayat Park Jea Moosa Shahdra Lahore. Tahir Hussain was resident of Ravi Road Lahore. Then Fawad Habibullah of Sector II Township Lahore, Zahoor Ahmad alias Gulo of 18/ME Mughalpura Lahore, Muhammad Assad of Kareem Block Allama Iqbal Town Lahore and Ziaul Meraj of Wapda Town Lahore also established a small network in Lahore. Qari Yousaf established his own group in Balock Bara Sector at Masjid Aqsa Township Lahore. Muhammad Younis alias Sahi of this area also helped him expand the small network.

Shehzada Hussain who lived adjacent to Captain Jamal Road in Sanda Lahore also established his own network. Shahid alias Shawe Shah who was resident of Imambargah Jageer Ali near Chungi Gujjarpura also helped expand the network and Sajid Abbas of Johar Town Lahore also helped him out to expand the network. Muhammad Adnan established a network in Hajipura area of Sialkot. This list goes on as Saeed Ahmad alias Abuzar helped him expand the network. Yasir Ali Cheema of village Ranjhai in Daska was also coordinating with both of them. Mubeen Shahzad of Muhalla Bogarh was operating for Daesh with assistance of Hamza Imtiaz in Ranjhai Tehsil Daska. Hafiz Ijaz alias Umar Butt of Babarory Shah, Jawad alias Abu Hafaz and Amir Suhail alias Bagga of Fateh Garh Road Sialkot were running their own network.

The documents further revealed that Daesh was also establishing its footprints in KP. Intelligence agencies revealed that Daesh was recruiting young Afghan boys in refugee camps in the province. About 40 to 50 young boys have left for Afghanistan from Afghan refugee camp Shamshato, KP and are under training in camps of Daesh at three different places in Afghanistan,” revealed a confidential report exclusively obtained by The News. A written communiqué received by KP Police revealed that four IS militants were planning to expand small networks across the province. Umar Muhammad who lived in Dagi Jadeed was campaigning for Daesh in Shahi Bala Peshawar. Maghfarullah who lived in Dagi Jadeed Tapi also supported him. Mir Haidar was trying to establish his own network in Mohalla Shaheed Palosai where Mohibullah supported him. He expanded his network to Farmani Chowk. They were publishing a pamphlet which reads: “Polio vaccination is treatment or the growth reduction of Ummat-e-Muslima”.

Officials assigned to eradicate networks of Daesh in Balochistan and Sindh revealed that seven bordering cities -- Shikarpur, Hyderabad, Mastung, Rahimyar Khan, etc. -- have become a hot-bed for proscribed organisations widely inspired from Daesh. “We’ve decided to conduct a joint operation against Daesh,” confirmed Sanaullah Abbasi, Incharge Counter Terrorism Department Sindh. Both provinces are devising a joint strategy to deal with terror outfits based in bordering areas of the two provinces. “Local militants were joining hands with Daesh in these areas,” Abbasi confirmed.

“14 Pakistanis joined Daesh in Syria and Afghanistan (last year),” revealed a three-page highly confidential report prepared by law enforcing agencies. Agencies also arrested around two dozen militants who were planning to join Daesh in Syria a few months back.