South Asia Terrorism Portal
Regression, Repression, Incoherence Ajit Kumar Singh Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management
On April 1, 2023, Taliban Director for Information and Culture in Badakhshan Province, Moezuddin Ahmadi, confirmed that the country’s only women-run radio station, Sadai Banowan (Women’s Voice), had been shut down as the station violated the "laws and regulations of the Islamic Emirate [of Afghanistan]" several times, by broadcasting songs and music during the Islamic month of Ramadan. He, however, added that, “if this radio station accepts the policy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and gives a guarantee that it will not repeat such a thing again” then “we will allow it to operate again.”
Rejecting the Taliban’s allegation, Radio Station head Najia Sorosh, asserted that the Taliban "told us that you have broadcast music” but “we have not broadcast any kind of music". She disclosed that, at 11:40 am [AST] on March 30, representatives from the Ministry of Information and Culture and the Vice and Virtue Directorate arrived at the station and shut it down. She called the order for closure a conspiracy. The radio station started 10 years ago and has a staff of eight people, six of them female.
On January 28, 2023, Ziaullah Hashmi, a spokesperson for the Taliban higher education ministry, confirmed that they had sent out a letter to private Afghan universities across the country, ordering them not to enroll female students for the upcoming spring semester. The letter warned that universities that failed to enforce the edict would face legal action. The entrance examinations were scheduled to take place at the end of February.
There were several such anti-women actions taken by the Taliban through 2022. In fact, since coming to power in August 2021, Taliban has taken series of repressive measures against women.
Indeed, in a briefing to the United Nations Security Council on March 8, 2023, Roza Otunbayeva, United Nations Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, observed,
Significantly, among several issues that have impeded the Taliban regime's attempts to secure international recognition, the dire state of women in the society has been the most significant. The other major impediment is the Taliban's wider human rights record.
Since coming to power, the Taliban has been targeting those who were close to the previous government, as well as the general masses who are opposed to the Taliban’s socio-religious diktats. Between August 15, when Taliban took over power in Kabul, and December 31, 2021, the Taliban was responsible for at least 44 civilian killings. In 2022, another 129 of the total of 382 civilian killings in which the perpetrator was identified, were executed by the Taliban. Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP or Da’esh) was responsible for the remaining 253 such killings. There was a total of 878 civilian killings in 2022, of which 496 remained unattributable. In 2023, the Taliban has already killed at least 19 civilians (data till April 2).
While executing these targeted killings, the Taliban has, on several occasions, demonstrated extreme brutality. Most recently, on March 24, 2023, the Taliban beheaded a Quranic scholar, Abdul Wadood, in front of his family members' eyes in the village of Qarqin on the Jowzjan-Sar-i-Pul highway in Jawzjan Province. Other prominent cases of brutality included:
February 8, 2023: The Taliban tortured a former ‘Regiment Commander’ of the Afghan Army, Sayed Merajuddin, in Jawzjan Province. Merajuddin eventually died of torture at an undisclosed location.
January 10, 2023: Taliban fighters beheaded and then shot a civilian, identified as Ali Ahmad, in the Darabad area of Farah Province. .
December 23, 2022: Taliban fighters raped two young girls and then beheaded them in front of their families in Surkh Qala village in Ruy-e-Du Ab District, Samangan Province.
November 24, 2022: Nine civilians, including four children (all Hazaras), were killed and beheaded in
the Hazara village of Siwak Shibar in the Nili District of Daikundi Province. A clash erupted after Taliban fighters attempted to arrest ‘rebels’ from the village and the villagers resisted. One Taliban fighter was also killed in the incident.
November 6, 2022: Taliban’s senior vice and virtue agent Mullah Yasin killed a teenage girl for refusing a forced marriage proposal, in the Sholgara District of Balkh Province.
July 20, 2022: Taliban fighters beheaded a 17-year-old boy in the Kasa Tarash village of Dih Salah District, Baghlan Province.
June 2, 2022: Taliban fighters killed 12 civilians while they were returning home from a party, at a checkpoint in Nahrin District, Baghlan Province. The Taliban fighters allegedly killed them for attending night parties.
The Taliban has also been carrying out brutal ‘legal’ punishments since coming to power. For instance, on January 4, 2023, the Taliban killed a former member of the Afghanistan National Defence and Security Forces identified as Mohammad Hashem, after torturing him, and hanged his body in public. He was detained by the Taliban from his house in the Baghlan District of Baghlan Province. Earlier, on December 7, 2022, Taliban executed a murder convict, identified as Tajmir, in a sports stadium in Farah Province. The execution was witnessed by top officials, including Taliban Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. This was the first public execution since the Taliban returned to power.
On December 8, 27 people, including 10 women were administered lashings in a Sports stadium in Charikar, Parwan Province. Their crimes covered homosexuality, fraud, elopement and robbery. Local Appellant Court Head Shaikh Mohammad Qaseem claimed that public punishment would bring down crime and corruption. Public lashing of women and men on several such charges of crime have become a regular routine.
More recently, on February 17, 2023, the supreme court of the Taliban said that 11 people, including two women, were publicly flogged at a sports ground in the city of Faizabad in Badakhshan Province as they were engaged in “moral crimes and adultery”.
Indeed, on September 22, 2021 Senior Taliban leader Mullah Nooruddin Turabi had stressed the "necessity" of imposing punishments such as amputations and summary executions according to the Sharia, and cautioned other countries against "interference".
These issues – atrocities against women and against the general masses – have, meanwhile, deepened the long-standing internal rift within the Taliban leadership. For instance, on February 3, 2023, Taliban Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada vowed to continue with his regressive policies on women. However, in increasing signs of dissent, addressing a ceremony in the Khost Province on February 11, 2023, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani described the situation in country as “intolerable” and stressed that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants “legitimate engagement” with the international community. On February 13, Deputy Prime Minister, Abdul Salam Hanafi, the senior-most non-Pashto Taliban leader to hold a Cabinet appointment, criticized the continuation of the ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan More recently, on March 31, 2023, the Taliban Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, called for the reopening of schools and universities for girls and women. He further said that he has always supported women and girls' education in Afghanistan and stressed reopening the doors of schools and universities. .
Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis continued to deepen. Roza Otunbayeva, in her briefing on March 8, 2023, had highlighted,
All these crisis - the non-recognition of the regime by international community, deepening internal rifts, a burgeoning humanitarian crisis, etc., - have dealt a body blow to the Taliban's effort to gain complete control over the entire country even after the completion of over 19 months in power in Kabul. The two principal challengers to the Taliban regime - the Resistance Forces and Da'esh- continue to build their respective operational capabilities.
Inputs indicate that, during 2022, the Resistance Forces killed 1,239 Taliban fighters, losing 208 of their own. In 2023, the Resistance Forces have already killed 70 Taliban fighters and have lost two of their own (data till April 2). Among several active Resistance Forces, the Ahmad Massoud-led National Resistance Front (NRF) has emerged as the most potent anti-Taliban formation. On December 31, 2022, NRF Spokesperson and Director of Strategic Communications Sibghatullah Ahmadi tweeted,
The NRF reportedly has a strength of 40,000 personnel and includes an 8,000-strong high-readiness contingent, with air, sea and special operations soldiers that can be deployed within days.
Meanwhile, the Afghan Freedom Front (AFF), another prominent Resistance Force, in its report on its year-old operations released on February 28, 2023, claimed 361 Taliban were killed and 364 wounded in 109 operations. It also claimed an active presence in 18 Afghan provinces. The Front's operational strategy for the coming year is to conduct precise targeting of Taliban gathering points and bases throughout Afghanistan, in addition to fomenting civil struggle across the country. In 2023, AFF has killed 13 Taliban fighters (data till April 2).
Da’esh remains the most active terrorist group in the country, accounting for 253 civilian killings in 2022. At least 43 civilians have already been killed by Da’esh terrorists in 2023 (till Aprl 2). Further, Da’esh killed 140 Taliban fighters and lost 112 of its own cadres in 2022. In 2023, it has lost 21 cadres, though it has failed to inflict any casualty on the Taliban. In 2020, the outfit claimed 82 attacks, which increased to 365 in 2021. In 2022, Da’esh claimed 163 attacks and has claimed two attacks in 2023, so far.
On February 13, 2023, the United Nations Security Council Committee released its 31st Report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning Da'esh, Al-Qaeda and associated individuals and entities, which estimated current Da'esh strength in Afghanistan at around 6,000. More worryingly, the report noted,
Compounding the country's multiple crises, Afghanistan - Pakistan relations are currently at striking low as a result of grating friction over the Durand line as well as the presence of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) inside Afghanistan. Islamabad alleges that the TTP has been provided sanctuary inside Afghan territory, from where it is carrying out a rising tide of cross-border attacks into Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban denies all such allegations. According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), since September 15, 2013, when the first such attack was reported, there have been at least 141 attacks across the Afghan border, in which at least 263 Pakistani Security Force (SF) personnel and 76 civilians have been killed, while another 339 sustained injuries. 88 terrorists were also killed in retaliatory action by Pakistani SFs. In the most recent incident, on December 15, 2022, at least one person was killed while 15 were injured in firing from the Afghan side, across the border, in the Chaman District of Balochistan. Earlier, on November 13, one Pakistani border guard was killed and two were wounded in firing from across the border at the Spin Boldak-Chaman crossing point.
The countries are also at loggerheads over the contentious issue of the Durand Line, which the Taliban – as with previous regimes – has refused to accept as the permanent border between the two countries. In fact, the border forces of these two countries have clashed on several occasions in the recent past over the issue of fencing along the Durand Line, which Pakistan wants to complete, as it claims this would stop infiltration by terrorists. The Taliban, on the other hand, opposes the fencing rejecting the sanctity of the Durand Line. According to the SATP database, since April 2007, when the first such clash reportedly took place, there have been at least nine such incidents, in which 55 persons, including 33 SF personnel and 22 civilians, have been killed. Most recently, on February 20, 2023, Taliban Forces opened fire, causing injuries to a Pakistani soldier at the Ayub Checkpoint, located at the hilltop near the Torkham border in the Khyber District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Pakistani side responded with heavy gunfire on suspected places from where the attack was initiated. However, there was no information of any casualties on the Afghan side.
Earlier, the Torkham border crossing was temporarily shut down on January 5, 2023, following injuries to one Pakistan Frontier Constabulary trooper in firing by an Afghan security guard. In the retaliatory fire, an Afghan border guard was killed.
On December 11, 2022, an altercation between the Security Forces of Pakistan and Taliban fighters along the Durand Line, near the Chaman-Spin Boldak border crossing, turned into a major clash. The two forces traded artillery and mortar fire, resulting in death and injuries to civilians on both sides. While, Pakistan reported the death of seven, including one Army soldier, the Taliban did not disclose the number of casualties on its side, but media reports suggested three deaths, including one Taliban fighter.
With momentous challenges before it to establish its hold over the country, the Taliban regime has intensified the implementation of its regressive ideology, with deepening repression. If anything, these challenges can only become greater, with chaos, disorder and the humanitarian crises worsening across the country over the foreseeable future.
Meghalaya: Simmering Conflicts Mutum Kenedy Singh Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management
On March 20, 2023, Meghalaya Governor Phagu Chauhan informed the State Assembly about the decision of the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) to engage in unconditional talks within the ambit of the Indian Constitution. Stating that the peace talks had started, he added, "The state government is committed to ensuring that the talks are concluded at the earliest. We are also thankful to the Government of India for their support." On March 17, 2023, the Meghalaya State Government stated that the ongoing peace talks with the HNLC were heading to a closure.
After receiving the Government of India's nod, peace talks between the HNLC and the Meghalaya Government were initiated on March 11, 2022. HNLC is a product of a 1992 split in the Hynniewtrep Achik Liberation Council (HALC), the first militant tribal outfit in Meghalaya. HNLC claims to represent the interest of the Khasis, the largest indigenous community in the state.
After the complete decimation of the Garo-insurgent group, Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), in 2018, following the killing of GNLA founder ‘commander' Sohan D. Shira on February 24, 2018, at Dobu A'chakpek in the East Garo Hills District, HNLC was the lone major active insurgent group left in the state. According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), since Shira's killing, Meghalaya recorded four fatalities (one civilian and three militants). While HNLC’s role is suspected in the killing of the civilian on May 12, 2019, one of each of the three terrorists killed belonged to the IK Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-S), the United Achik Liberation Army (UALA) and HNLC. The last militant killing was reported on September 14, 2021, when the UALA cadre was killed.
State Government data indicated that, out of seven Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosions in Meghalaya between February 2018 and January 2022, at least five were suspected to be linked to the HNLC. The remaining two IED explosions remained unattributed.
No violent incident has been reported in the State since January 2022.
In such a situation, successful completion of the talks with the HNLC is likely to help establish permanent peace in the state, which witnessed heightened insurgency between 1992 and 2000 (when overall fatalities were in three digits in each year) and a persistent low-level insurgency between 2001 and 2016 (when overall fatalities remained within two digits, and were limited to just five in 2009). There were eight fatalities in 2017, seven in 2018, two in 2019, none in 2020, two in 2021 and none in 2022.
Some problems, nevertheless, persist.
On April 13, 2022, The Meghalaya Police arrested the founder (name withheld by the Police) of a 'newly formed' militant group Lawei ba Phyrnai (Bright Future), who sent two threatening emails to the Chief Minister of Meghalaya Conrad K Sangma. The first email, sent on April 1, 2022, threatened to trigger bomb blasts every single week starting May 1, 2022. The email read,
In the second email sent on April 7, 2022, the outfit demanded the release of the jailed HNLC leader, Julius K. Dorphang, arrested on January 7, 2017, in connection with a rape case. It warned of blowing up a school if the demand was unmet.
Further, the inter-state boundary issues between Meghalaya and Assam threaten to undo the hard-earned peace and stability in the State. The village of Mukroh, which Meghalaya claims lies in Block-I under the West Jaintia Hills District of the State near the border with Assam, was the site of violent clashes on November 22, 2022. Assam Police shot dead five Meghalaya citizens. Both parties gave differing accounts of the event. The Assam Government said the incident occurred between "Assam Forest" officials and "unknown miscreants" at Mukroh under Jirikinding Police Station in the State's West Karbi Anglong District. Meghalaya Chief Minister Sangma blamed the Assam side for the "unprovoked firing". Reacting to the incident, Assam registered vehicles were set ablaze by enraged mobs at Mahavir Park in the Jhalupara area of Shillong. Vehicle movements were restricted along the Assam-Meghalaya border, and internet services were suspended in various Districts of Meghalaya.
Such incidents have a long-established history in Northeast India and are not particularly limited to Meghalaya and Assam, but have involved other states, such as Nagaland and Mizoram, as well.
To resolve interstate boundary issues in various disputed areas between Meghalaya and Assam, talks between officials are slated to be conducted by the end of April 2023. The interstate border talks will discuss disputed areas such as Langpih in West Khasi Hills, Borduar, Nongwah-Mawtamur, Desh Doomreah and Block-II in Ri-Bhoi District, and Block-I and Psiar-Khanduli in West Jaintia Hills District.
Further, the demand for the application of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system has grown stronger in Meghalaya after the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019. The ILP system provides for restricted entry in certain protected areas, to non-native Indian citizens from other parts of the country. Several NGOs convened meetings in and around the state to express their dissent against the non-implementation of the ILP system in Meghalaya.
The conflict between the Khasis and Garos, the latter are the second largest indigenous community in the State, is a further complication in the socio-political context of the state. The conflict has been fueled by various factors, including historical grievances, competition over land and resources, political power, and cultural differences, which sometimes takes a sectarian form since most Khasis are Welsh Presbyterian Christians while the Garos are American Baptist. This conflict dates back to the colonial period, and has continued into the present. It accounts for the original emergence of HNLC and GNLA.
Establishing a sustainable peace in Meghalaya requires the resolution of these critical issues. The state government, which was sworn into its second term on March 7, 2023, is expected to take necessary steps in this direction. However, any delays or lackadaisical approach would provide a fillip to the insurgent groups, which have been cornered at the present stage.
Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia March 27 - April 2, 2023
Civilians
Security Force Personnel
NS
Total
AFGHANISTAN
INDIA
Chhattisgarh
Manipur
Maharashtra
India (Total)
PAKISTAN
Balochistan
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Sindh
PAKISTAN (Total)
Total (South Asia)
Attacking a Taliban educational centre in Kabul is the start of a new beginning, says NRF spokesperson Ahmadi Sibghatullah: The spokesperson for the National Resistance Front (NRF), Sibghatullah Ahmad, posted a video and said that the March 28, 2023, attack on the outposts of the enemy's (Taliban) special unit in the educational centre of Pul-e-Charkhi area in Kabul Province marks the beginning of our guerilla operations to defend the people against the oppression and savagery of the Taliban. Ahmadi claimed that the attack resulted in significant casualties among the Taliban fighters, although he did not provide an exact number Hasht e Subh, March 30, 2023.
Afghanistan poses major security threats and risks to the security of SCO members, says Russian official Nikolay Partushev: On March 29, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolay Partushev said that Afghanistan poses major security threats and risks to member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). He said that "it is Important to watch the situation in Afghanistan closely as it remains tense and is taking on a protracted nature a year and a half after the Taliban came to power." The Khaama Press, March 31, 2023.
Taliban Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai calls for reopening of schools and universities for girls: On March 31, the Taliban Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, called for the reopening of schools and universities for girls and women. He further said that he has always supported women and girls' education in Afghanistan and stressed reopening the doors of schools and universities. Hasht e Subh, April 1, 2023.
Efforts are underway for certain countries to reopen their embassies in Kabul, says Taliban acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi: Taliban acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir khan Muttaqi said that efforts are underway for certain countries to reopen their embassies in Kabul in the coming days. He said, "There is daily improvement. We are working to facilitate the reopening of embassies in the future. We hope this problem will be solved completely. Tolo News, March 30, 2023.
Nine million people at risk of acute starvation in Afghanistan, says WFP: On March 27, the Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), David Beasley wrote on Twitter that nine million people are at risk of acute starvation in Afghanistan and WFP is days away from cutting food if funding is not received immediately. He further said that world cannot turn its back on the people of Afghanistan in this hour of unprecedented crisis. The Khaama Press, March 29, 2023.
Restriction on women will delay Kabul's international relation, says US State Department: The deputy spokesman of the United States (US) State Department Vedant Patel on March 28 said that it's safe to say from conversations around the world that Taliban is looking for more normal relations with countries around the world, this won't happen for a very long time as long as they keep pushing for these oppressive laws against women and girls. Tolo News, March 29, 2023.
IS forms two sub-groups to further its terror activities in South India: In a bid to keep its presence intact in India, particularly after the crackdown on the Popular Front of India (PFI), Islamic State (IS) launched two sub-groups for Southern states in India and Sri Lanka. While one sub-group will cover Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, the other one will target the rest of southern States like Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The Tribune, March 28, 2023.
IS threatens mass murders and beheadings in revenge for 'love jihad' law:The Islamic State (IS), in its latest propaganda material, threatened to resort to mass murders and beheadings to mark its protest against laws being enacted against 'love jihad' in states which have enacted anti-love jihad laws including, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh. Claiming that such laws are aimed at empowering certain communities to embroil Muslim youths and weaken them, IS claimed that the mujahideen are coming to behead those who have framed the ummah (Muslim community). The Pioneer, March 31, 2023.
Khalistani groups threaten Indians living abroad, says report: United States-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Legal Advisor, Sikhs for, in a recorded phone call, issued threat to Indians studying abroad and families with political backgrounds. "Your family members who are studying abroad in America, Canada and in Europe are on our target. Cases will be registered against them. Nobody will be able to come out as you are committing atrocities on pro-Khalistani families. We have destroyed the Congress, Badals and now, it's your (AAP) turn. We will find your family members abroad one by one. Legal action will be taken against them and they will be sent back to you," Pannun said. India Today, March 31, 2023.
PFI used social media to spread communal hatred, target government and judiciary, reveals NIA investigation: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) analysed more than 60 Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube accounts linked to the Popular Front of India (PFI), through which its functionaries and members were spreading communal hatred and targeting the Indian government and higher judiciary. The NIA stated, "A thorough analysis of the downloaded data revealed several inflammatory and communal speeches made by the accused persons/PFI cadre on their social media handles. Similarly, multiple posts/videos were found opprobrious of the higher judiciary and the Government of India. The Hindu, March 31, 2023.
Terrorist Organizations have no presence in Uttar Pradesh, says Uttar Pradesh Government: The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Government on March 29, stated that due to Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) massive crackdown on Islamic State (IS), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Al-Qaeda, and other terrorist organizations, as we all as against Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), these terror groups have no presence in UP. The Government also state that ATS has caught 21 people from IS, JeM, Al-Qaeda, ISI and other terrorist organisations. It further stated, "At the same time, the ATS has succeeded in arresting 13 people belonging to Popular Front of India (PFI), Rohingya, Bangladeshi and Naxal extremist organizations. Latest Ly, March 30, 2023.
Worst-affected LWE Districts reduced from 35 in April 2018 to 25 in July 2021, says Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai: The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, on March 28, said that the number of Districts most affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) reduced from 30 in April 2018 to 25 in July 2021. "The number of most LWE Affected Districts was reduced from 35 to 30 in April-2018 and then to 25 in July 2021. Also, 8 Districts categorized as Districts of Concern have been covered under the scheme since July 2021 to consolidate gains in areas where LWE influence is waning," said Rai in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha (Lower house of the Parliament). Latest Ly, March 22, 2023.
28 drones being used to smuggle arms, narcotics from Pakistan to Punjab recovered in three years, says MoS for Home Affairs Nisith Pramanik: On March 27, Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Nisith Pramanik stated in Lok Sabha (Lower house of the Parliament) that "anti-national elements and smugglers have been using drones for smuggling of arms and narcotics from Pakistan to Punjab and 28 incidents of recovery of such drones have been reported in the last three years. PTI, March 22, 2023.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal expands cabinet: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on March 31, expanded his cabinet by inducting 11 new ministers from five new parties including the Nepali Congress (NC). Dahal, who is also the chief of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M), a party with just 32 members in the House of Representatives (HoR), managed to have eight members in the cabinet including himself whereas only four members of the faction-ridden NC took oath of office and secrecy on March 31 The Kathmandu Post, April 1, 2023.
Militants who carry out attacks inside Pakistan have acquired US weapons left behind in Afghanistan, says report: Militants who carry out attacks inside Pakistan have obtained United Sates (US) weapons left behind in Afghanistan, said a report released by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Observers say the influx of US weapons has boosted the military capabilities of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch separatist groups. This influx of weapons has caused "a surge in violence (in Pakistan) over the past two years," it added. Dawn, April 1, 2023.
PTI chairman Imran Khan brought back terrorism to Pakistan, says Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto said on March 29 that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan brought back terrorism to Pakistan. Addressing the National Assembly, Bilawal Bhutto said that the armed forces and the nation wiped out the menace of terrorism from Pakistan but the former Prime Minister Imran Khan decided that he will forgive the attackers of the Army Public School and he then released them from jails. Ary News, March 31, 2023.
The South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR) is a weekly service that brings you regular data, assessments and news briefs on terrorism, insurgencies and sub-conventional warfare, on counter-terrorism responses and policies, as well as on related economic, political, and social issues, in the South Asian region.
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