IB chief warns of growing Daesh threat in Pakistan

Intelligence Bureau chief Aftab Sultan in his briefing to the standing committee for interior said that hundreds of people have left Pakistan to fight in Syria.

He said the Islamic State group was emerging as a threat in the country because several militant groups had soft corner for it. He specifically named Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan as examples.

He said a network of Daesh has been captured in Pakistan adding that the terrorist group also works in coordination with Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

He said Pakistan will continue to face terrorism threat for next eight to 10 years.

The IB chief said terrorists were reorganising and stressed the need for a border control mechanism, particularly with Afghanistan, implementation of the National Action Plan and de-radicalisation policy with a focus on counter-narrative.

DG IB said that the intelligence bureau has arrested the accused involved in attacks on Justice Maqbool Baqar, Shikarpur Imambargah and murders of Khalid Mehmood Soomro, SSP Chaudhry Aslam and Bashir Bilour.

He informed the committee that some of the target killers arrested in Karachi were affiliated with various political parties. He said the law and order situation in Karachi has improved now.

DG Intelligence Bureau said that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 581 hardened terrorists were arrested, while 84 killed in encounters.

He also talked about the coordination between outlawed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Sahaba and Taliban groups. He said the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Sipah-e-Sahaba have soft corner for Daesh.