Every state and non-state actors work on ideology. Without ideology, they can not achieve the ends despite the fact if they have means. In the contemporary world, the world largest and ruthless violent non-state actor firm is Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Discussing their ideological content, they are committed to killing the non-muslims to achieve their ends. Back in 2016 the States department categorically declared that the ISIS is committing genocide and ruthless killing against religious minorities, including Christians in Syria and Iraq. As ISIS is Trans regional threat and it started to put its impact on the Middle East to South Asian states. Whereas Afghanistan and Pakistan are prime targets for ISIS as these countries have a history of having fanatics. People in these countries can do anything in the name of religion.
Initially, Pakistan denied the presence of ISIS in the country but last year Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) the media wing of Pakistan army declared that Special Services Group (SSG) commandos had killed at least 12 IS operatives in an “intelligence-based counter-insurgency operation” on the outskirts of Balochistan’s Mastung district. Their ideology has been inherited by the militant organization named as Lashkar e Jhangvi (LeJ). They pledged their alliances to the Transregional terrorist organisation. Their allegiance with IS intensified the suicidal attacks on minorities in Balochistan. These minorities are the soft target hence they are easy to engage. While attacks on Christian minorities have intensified last year and on the bigger level the operation against this joint venture was started. Many operations were taken against them. The largest operation against ISIS was a three-day operation, targeting a range of caves situated 50 kilometres from Quetta, was part of counter-terrorism Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad. ISPR claimed the caves were the “command and control centre” of ISIS in Pakistan and that military gunship helicopters had taken out the terror group’s organizational structure.
Although Pakistan forces are very vociferous about mitigating these elements from Balochistan. Despite this, IS has claimed responsibility for a spate of recent attacks in Quetta. Simultaneously they ain’t targeting only minorities or non-Muslims but also targeting the law and order personals. They attacked the paramilitary of Balochistan, Frontier Corps (FC). This is the mixture of targets which disturbs the theoretical explanation of attacks that whether they are injecting insurgency or they are targeting their global agenda in Balochistan. The worrisome fact is that despite the military containment of ISIS, its genocidal ideology continues to appeal to new recruits and it has recommitted itself to attacking Christian targets in other parts of the country too.
Balochistan is the most fragile province as there are Hazaras, Christians and different minorities and the whole province are sharing a border with the Afghanistan where already IS is operating. Hence there is a dire need to engage the youth, Madrassas, modern education to be dealt with this looming threat. Because getting radicalize is quite easy whereas DE radicalization process is quite impossible. The progress of Pakistan depends upon the youth of Balochistan as it is the main heart of CPEC. State organs must develop such framework which should engage such threats because they are not physical but psychological.
