The United States, United Nations, and European Union are advised to move beyond symbolic sanctions and implement comprehensive financial and diplomatic actions against institutions supporting terrorism in Pakistan. A recent report highlighted that Pakistan continues to be a major center for organized terrorism, with 12 out of 15 terror groups in the country designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations under US law, driven by Islamist extremist ideologies. These groups are not only named but also categorized based on their specific operational areas, revealing a deep-rooted terror network that extends globally and domestically.
The report emphasized that the longevity of these terror groups in Pakistan is sustained by a combination of state policies, regional geopolitics, and underground financing. Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been accused of differentiating between “good and bad terrorists” to serve its foreign policy interests. Despite mounting international pressure, groups like the Resistance Front, linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, responsible for the 2025 Pahalgam terrorist attack, continue to operate due to Pakistan’s support through strategic depth policies, financial aid, and safe havens.
Terror groups in Pakistan have adapted to evolving technologies for funding, utilizing methods like undocumented money transfers through the Hawala system, drug trafficking, illegal mining, and unregulated religious schools. This financial model makes it challenging for global authorities to cut off their funding sources effectively. The report highlighted a historical cycle of appeasement by the US, EU, and UN towards Pakistan, allowing the country to maintain its double game in supporting terrorism while escaping significant consequences.
Calling for decisive global action, the report stressed the importance of treating terrorism facilitators with the same severity as the perpetrators to dismantle the long-standing networks that have operated with impunity for decades.
