ISIS growing in Pak: Top intelligence official

A top Pakistani intelligence official said on Wednesday the Islamic State’s presence was growing in Pakistan.

Director general Intelligence Bureau Aftab Sultan said that banned outfits like Lashkar- e- Jhangvi ( LeJ) and Sipah- e- Sahaba Pakistan ( SSP) were reorganising themselves, with presence of Daesh or ISIS more prominent than before.

Addressing the Senate standing committee on interior here, the IB chief said that all local militant groups including LeJ and SSP had a soft corner for Daesh.

“TTP coordinates with Daesh despite being rivals in Afghanistan,” he said, adding that the group was using social media and cyberspace extensively to recruit and communicate messages of suspected militants.

“The intelligence Bureau is identifying signs of the militants’ presence in the country and carrying out arrests where necessary,” Mr Sultan said.

“There are reports of fighters being recruited by sectarian and other outfits,

Addressing the Senate standing committee, the IB chief said that all local militant groups, including Lashkar- eJhangvi and Sipah- eSahaba, Pakistan had a soft corner for ISIS

and being sent to Syria. The number of people leaving from Pakistan to Syria to join IS are in hundreds,” he added.

He said the militants were now targeting media houses and educational institutes in Pakistan.

The IB chief said that Tehrik- e- Taliban Pakistan ( Fazlullah group) was still the strongest one and all militant groups were working in tandem. “Jandullah is a smaller group,” he added.

Mr Sultan claimed that terror incidents had considerably decreased after the launch of Operation Zarb- eAzb.

“Terrorists are on the run. Civilian security and intelligence set- ups are augmenting and implementing operation Zarb- e- Azb in cities,” he said.

Pakistan has continuously denied the presence of the militant group on its soil. In January 2016, the foreign office reiterated that the ISIS had no presence in Pakistan amid reports that a group of 20 people left the country for Syria recently to join the ultra- radical Middle Eastern group.

“We have seen media reports that certain elements trying to associate themselves with Daesh have been arrested and that investigations are going on,” FO spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said in Islamabad.

He made it clear, however, that ISIS had no ‘ footprint’ in Pakistan.