BAJAUR ATTACK & TERRORISM FINANCING

30th July 2023 was an unlucky day, when a suicide bomber set off explosives at a political rally in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday. The blast took place at a gathering of the political cum religious Jamiat ulema Islam Fazl-e- Rehman (JUI-F) party, in the former tribal area of Bajaur, which borders Afghanistan.

Bajaur has remained in limelight due to alleged sanctuary of different militant groups including Tahreek -e- Taliban Pakistan (TTP). It was evacuated by Pakistani Military forces after an effective & full-fledged operation in the area & since then it has been found to be substantially better.

As reported by a number of news agencies, Blast took place when the party’s workers convention was in a full swing amid chanting slogans. There was chaos, when huge blast occurred, there were screams, flood of blood & human flesh perished in pieces in no time. Which left at least 56 people dead & wounded nearly 200.

This was the huge loss of innocent people, who were engaged in their political activity as mundane.

If we look at this ill-fated incident, we may observe certain significance & factors which are sufficient for one’s eye opening. They are:

??The Islamic State Khorasan (ISKP), an affiliate of Islamic State, claimed responsibility for the bombing. We know very well that Jamiat ulema Islam Fazl (JUI-F) has been a wright wing party. Whereas, alleged attackers have also been claiming themselves as custodian of religion. This is something, which raises ?eyebrows & leaves many questions, which we will try to answer later in this article.?

??Tahreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has condemned this attack. Who have been assumed & considered as sympathizer of JUI (F) in the past but this support has never been remained same or constant due to volatile circumstances.

REASONS BEHIND THE VIOLANT ATTACKS: ?

?? RIGHT PATH FOLLOWERS:

There is always race among extremist groups, they have developed a unique notion & consider themselves as “the only right path follower”. Under this illusion, they keep attacking other groups of same fraternity. There has been a news in the air that "The Islamic State Khorasan (ISKP) " attacked this political gathering because of JUI (F's) active participation in main stream politics & taking parts in ruling secular governments.?

?? BATTLE FOR ALLEGIANCE:

It has been observed that different terrorist groups endeavor for more power, monopoly & influence. They keep using force to muster resources, land & last but not the least “The?practice of bay'ah?(the taking of an oath of allegiance)” or validation of their acts from the people around them. They often start targeting individuals & societies, who refuse to embrace them or showing slight difference with their ideology.

???ACCOMPLISHING THE MISSION OF FOREIGN MASTERS:

There have been differences among nations & countries, to settle the score, different terrorists’ groups are often sponsored to create uncertainty, turmoil & war like situation in particular countries to weaken the governments.

In case of The Islamic State Khorasan (ISKP) this factor can not be ruled out as it has strong roots in foreign land.

?? TERRORISM & TERRORISTS FINACNING ??

Terrorism financing has always remained a difficult dilemma for countries in general & financial institutions in particular. It becomes more challenging when it is supported by foreign hands & organized transnational crimes.

Country like Pakistan share a huge porous border with it's neighbor countries, which significantly expose country towards unlimited vulnerabilities & threats. It nearly becomes impossible to deploy security agencies on porous border consisting on thousand meters.

On the other hand, financial institutions are doing their best to adopt new technologies, hiring trained professionals & introducing strengthened AML CFT compliance framework to disrupt terrorists financing as they (terrorists) need money to sustain & carry out their illicit activities.

?? CONCLUSION ??

It seems as the threat of terrorism will remain constant as terrorist groups have started strengthening themselves after US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Fight for allegiance & supremacy will continue as to ensure their footfall & influence. Further, they muster support from foreign powers to destabilize targeted geographical locations.

Keeping in view the above factors, government (Public & Private Sector) , Political Parties & International stakeholders have to move forward to come up with new strategies & a comprehensive master plan to mitigate evolving serious & heinous terrorist crime risks.

#terroristfinancing #terrorism #amlcft #amlcompliance

Disclaimer:?The views and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the author and do not reflect the position of the organization(s) the author affiliated with.?This article is solely for academic & knowledge sharing purpose and does not constitute any professional advice or partial opinion.

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