There is an almost daily emergence of stories of conflict from Pakistani cities. Pakistani forces recently raided a militant hideout near Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs residence in the Raiwind area of Lahore. Groups like the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, led by Hafiz Saeed and designated by the United States as a cover for the Lashkar-e-Taiba, have a widespread presence in cities like Karachi and Lahore, and have become a major political force embedded in society through a philanthropic network. Sectarian groups opposed to religious sects such as Shiites and Ahmadis are engaged in a widespread campaign of bombings, intimidation, and targeted assassinations, most recently in Gujranwala, where three Ahmadis were killed after a mob set five houses on fire after accusing an Ahmadi man of blasphemy. These groups are issues of concern for the United States, even if they do not pose a direct threat to the United States at home. The threat from Pakistani groups based in the countrys metropolitan and urban centers is largely seen through other prisms: one, that many of these groups have had transnational ambitions and could attack American citizens and interests in the South Asian region; two, that groups opposed to countries such as India and Afghanistan could attack there, contributing to regional instability; and third, that the presence and expansion of the groups signals the steady destabilization of Pakistan.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 19:21:03 +0000
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