Islamabad: Banned terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad has launched a massive recruitment and fund raising drive in Pakistan to intensify its jihadi activities.
The outfit, responsible for several terror attacks in India, has been holding rallies across Pakistan to instigate the youth towards performing `jihad’ against India.
The Jaish is proscribed in Pakistan, and its chief Masood Azhar, is in protective custody after a terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force Base in January last year in India.
In 2016, JeM heavily armed militants attacked the military camp in the town of Uri in Jammu and Kashmir and is constantly trying to create instability in the region.
The outfit has training camps in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and act on the guidelines of Inter-Services Intelligence.
The political activists from PoK have shown concern over growing threat of terrorist outfits like JeM, which has close ties with separatists based in Kashmir valley.
“It is true that outfits like Jaish-e-Muhammad are promoting terrorism in the Kashmir region, especially with the collaboration of separatists like Asiya Andrabi and Syed Ali Shah Gillani,” said Jamil Maqsood, leader of United Kashmir People’s National Party.
Another political leader and author from Pakistan occupied Kashmir, Dr. Shabir Choudhry said, “This is not surprising, as militant outfits like JeM are strategic assets of Pakistan. They are free to do anything in the country”.
He added, “Why kill the goose which lays golden eggs. Yes, you can hide it to save it from wolves”.
It is believed the long leash given to the Jaish could be part of a deliberate strategy by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency to offset the recent house arrest of Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed.
Jaish terrorists were also responsible for the December 13, 2001 attack on Indian parliament in New Delhi which almost led to a war with Pakistan.
India has put a proposal at the United Nations to list Jaish-e-Muhammad’s chief Masood Azhar as a global designated terrorist.
ANI