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SafooraChowrangi Attack: Have the terrorists stopped their Brand Marketing?

ARY News and several other media groups reported that a cache of pamphlets were recovered by law enforcement agencies from the site of the tragic SafooraChawrangi bus attack. This unfortunate attack primarily targeted peace-loving Ismaili Muslims whose services for Pakistan need no mention.

ARY News and several other media groups reported that a cache of pamphlets were recovered by law enforcement agencies from the site of the tragic SafooraChawrangi bus attack. This unfortunate attack primarily targeted peace-loving Ismaili Muslims whose services for Pakistan need no mention.

What is of particular interest are two pamphlets claiming to be authored by “DaulatulIslamiyyahBaaqiya” i.e. a regional branch of ISIS (known as “Daesh” in Arabic). The pamphlets are written both in English and Urdu, and more interestingly, none have any headers mentioning “BismillahirRahmaanirRaheem” or any other organizational logo/emblem. This is a ‘standard format’ adopted by terrorist organizations (professing to be “Islamic”) who issue warning letters and other print documents internally and externally (whether it is pertaining to threats, announcements or simple press releases).

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Reuters has published a report in which they quote Jundullah spokesperson Ahmed Marwat claiming responsibility for the attack. The group pledged allegiance to ISIS in November 2014 after a purported meeting in restive Balochistan province. For the sake of argument, let’s accept Jundullah as the perpetrator of this attack.

Apart from the usual gibberish, such as “we did this-and-this in response to so-and-so event”, what is odd in the letter is the point which vents out anger against SSP RaoAnwaar, calling him a “scum” in English and “khabees” in Urdu (pardon the language). Why has this particular police officer been singled out? Does Jundullahnot have issues with any other high-profile CID, CIA, SIU and police officer? This question is intended to provoke a food-for-thought among the readers, not to suggest that other officers should also be threatened.

The targeting of Ismaili Muslims is irrational, even if the terrorists’ operational intentions are included. Shia pilgrims who return from Iran are target-killed, and so are other minority groups in Pakistan. The targeting of a community within Shia Islam which is absolutely apolitical, has never picked up arms even for their own cause (as opposed to IthnaAshari Muslims for instance Hezbollah) and has never spoken anything openly or behind-the-scenes against other sects. Furthermore, the Houthis which Gulf states and a particular brand of Islam have problems against, are from the Zaydi Shia community and not Ismaili. What then, justifies the targeting of Ismailis, if I am to plan my operations from a militant’s point-of-view?

Furthermore, there is no inclusion of any graphics containing swords, statements of war in Arabic or out-of-context quotations from The Holy Qur’an. Does this not make everything look extremely dubious? Since when has a group, which claims it is representing the “caliphate”, stopped using fancy Islamic symbols to promote its brand image?

Recently, when the tragic helicopter crash incident took place in Naltar, the TTP tried to quickly claim credit and present it as a targeted attack. Their claims died down instantly when not only military officials, but the statements of eye-witnesses and a few diplomats confirmed the crash occurred due to technical issues.

Funny enough, the TTP later issued a statement saying they couldn’t share the alleged footage of the attack “for security reasons”. What reasons are they, except the fact that there was no attack, let alone a video recording?

Initially, the “TTP Swat” claimed responsibility for the attack, later Jundullah, and we might expect a few other “mujahid groups” to claim credit for it. The in-thing among these anti-state terrorist groups is that whoever carries out an attack of a large scale, one which sends panic and fear down Pakistani citizens’ minds, they try to seize the opportunity and claim ownership. Of course, they’ve been dumb enough not being mindful of embarrassing exposés in the future.

It is pertinent to mention here that Sindh province has been infested with a host of ethnic, linguistic, sectarian and sub-nationalist groups (just like all the other provinces). However, the amount of political support by certain quarters which most militants get in Sindh, most alarmingly, is not found to such an extent elsewhere.

And in conclusion, I come to a very dangerous question: Are certain political parties using the cover of terrorist groups for their own motives and vice versa?

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