Pakistan: Militant magnets

The fact that Iraq and Syria have become magnets for radicalised Muslims from across the world has been largely confirmed by a UN report, parts of which were recently published in the Guardian.

It says that “foreign terrorist fighters” from around 80 nations have left for the blood-drenched battlefields of the Middle East to take up arms for the self-styled Islamic State and other extremists.

According to CIA estimates, there are anywhere between 20,000 to 30,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria, with large numbers of them hailing from Western as well as Muslim states.

Meanwhile, in a related development, MQM chief Altaf Hussain has raised the alarm about the possible presence of IS in Pakistan; speaking on Friday, the Muttahida chief said that IS flags and graffiti were ‘evidence’ of the radical group’s activities in this country.

There are numerous reasons why disenchanted young Muslims from the West as well as Muslim nations are being attracted to the IS banner.

Some of these militants, both men and women, have failed to integrate into their Western environs and suffer from an identity crisis, while others are fleeing repressive, failed or failing Muslim regimes.

The common tie that binds them is the dream of becoming part of a utopian ‘caliphate’ that they believe the Islamic State is building. Regardless of their motivations, their home countries have not done enough to stop the flow of jihadis into the Middle East.

Not only are these fighters destabilising the region, they will become major security threats should they decide to return home, further radicalised and with battlefield experience.

As for Mr Hussain’s warning, it is true that IS paraphernalia and graffiti have been reported from parts of the country, while prominent local militants such as Shahidullah Shahid and Omar Khalid Khorasani have expressed their admiration for the militant group.

However, rather than proving IS has a presence in Pakistan, these developments reflect splits within the banned TTP, while militants are simply expressing support for an ideological ally which has achieved enviable battlefield success.

Yet the IS threat cannot be dismissed entirely.

Authorities need to monitor whether local and foreign militants are moving back and forth from Middle Eastern combat zones.

As far as defeating IS goes, we feel a regional effort — spearheaded by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran — is still the best solution for defeating the extremists rather than a US-led air war with a token Arab presence.