Terror under Pakistan's nose as Islamic State expands into region

The Islamic State (IS) militant group has just announced the appointment of its commander for Pakistan and Afghanistan, despite Islamabad's denial of an IS network in the country.

The Islamic State (IS) militant group has announced a new chapter in the already volatile countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

For the last few months, the Pakistani government has been denying that IS had established a network in their country. But now, it is official. IS has just announced the appointment of its commander for Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"We give glad tidings to the Islamic fighters on the inclusion of the Khurasan region (Afghanistan and Pakistan) into the Islamic State,” said IS spokesman Abu Muhammad Al-Adnani. “The conditions for the establishment of an Islamic state have been met and this region is hereby made part of the Islamic State. Hafiz Saeed Khan is hereby announced as in charge of the Khurasan region.

The statement calls for Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and other militant factions to take oath under its so-called caliphate Al Baghdadi.

Pakistan, a front-line ally in the war against terror, is pivotal for regional stability. But for many years, the ruling elite had been denying the power of the Taliban to such an extent that it was only after an international outcry in 2009 when it was discovered that the Taliban were just 100 miles away from the capital Islamabad.

The state was prompted to take action and since then, such anti-terror military operations have, by necessity, continued.

Militancy experts say Pakistan comes across as a slow learner. "And now the same situation we are witnessing against the Daish (Islamic State) - the government is confused, the political leadership is confused and even the media is confused," said Saleem Safi, a militancy analyst.

However, some analysts say Pakistan is allowing some militant groups to expand into the region in a bid to uphold its strategic significance and maintain the flow of international funds. But they warn that the country should not repeat past mistakes of supporting certain militants for short-term gains, as such a high-stakes strategy could yet yield disastrous consequences for the region.