‘ISIS May Exploit Pakistan’s Sectarian Divide to Recruit’: Report

The Pakistan government has realised that the ISIS group is a potential threat that could benefit from the changing militant landscape in the country and exploit the sectarian schism by signing up new recruits, media reported Wednesday.“It would be dishonest to say ISIS is not a threat to Pakistan,” said National Security Committee Secretary Muhammad Sadiq at the concluding session of a two-day conference which ended Tuesday, Dawn online reported.“ISIS has reportedly contacts with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Afghan Taliban,” he added. It was reported last week that the government has arrested most of the people linked to ISIS graffiti in various cities.

The wall-chalking campaign and leaflets prompted fears about the terrorist group making inroads in the country. Nevertheless, ISIS had attracted militants and sectarian groups because of its successes in Syria and Iraq. Six TTP commanders had in October sworn allegiance to self-anointed caliph Baghdadi. Sadiq said: “ISIS has not challenged the security scene here, but sees this region as a potential recruitment ground.”