Pakistani ISI trains 300 Hizb ut-Tahrir terrorists to infiltrate India
In a calculated move to destabilize South Asia, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has intensified its covert operations by training and deploying operatives from the extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT).
This alarming development follows reports of ISI’s involvement in smuggling weapons and infiltrating militants into neighbouring countries under various disguises.
With a growing network of sleeper cells and radicalized individuals targeting India and Bangladesh, the threat posed by these operations cannot be overstated.
There is urgent need for countermeasures to effectively combat evil plots of the nexus between ISI and HuT, shedding light on the extensive training programs, and infiltration methods.
The growing nexus between Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and extremist groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) is raising alarm across South Asia.
With covert operations designed to infiltrate neighbouring countries, ISI’s recent training of 300 HuT operatives underscores a deliberate strategy to destabilize the region.
Reports of militants entering India and Bangladesh under various disguises reveal a calculated effort to spread radical ideologies and create sleeper cells.
While a leader of Pakistan’s ruling Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Irshad Ahmed Khan, publicly admitted on a major Indian broadcast network that Pakistan is smuggling weapons concealed in commercial goods sent to Bangladesh via direct vessels from Karachi Port, other alarming activities are unfolding.
For example, Pakistan, a country which is unable to ensure supply of basic foodstuff, including sugar to its citizen has stunned everyone by declaring of sending 25 thousand metric tons of sugar to Bangladesh.
Credible intelligence reports indicate that Pakistani networks are preparing to ship massive quantities of heroin, cocaine, and synthetic opioids to Bangladesh under the pretence of sugar exports.
These drugs are expected to infiltrate Indian markets, where they could exacerbate an already severe drug abuse crisis.
The implications of this narcotics nexus are vast. Indian youth and communities are particularly vulnerable, as an influx of drugs could escalate addiction rates and undermine social stability.
Moreover, these illicit substances could be rerouted to Western nations via Indian intermediaries, further complicating the global war on drugs.
If intercepted, these drug consignments could damage India’s reputation, leading to stricter scrutiny of its exports and potentially harming its economic and trade relationships.
Such outcomes would serve Pakistan’s broader agenda of destabilizing its neighbor while profiting from the lucrative drug trade.
Meanwhile, taking advantage of the withdrawal of previous security clearance requirements for Pakistani nationals or individuals of Pakistani origin entering Bangladesh, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been facilitating the infiltration of militants from groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and others into Bangladesh.
These individuals enter under various disguises, including as traders, tourists, and members of the Tablighi Jamaat.
According to a top-ranking intelligence agency, ISI has also begun sending trained Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) operatives into India.The Pakistani military’s Special Services Group (SSG), although not ranked among the world’s top commando forces like the US Navy SEALs, British SAS, Israeli Sayeret Matkal, Russian Spetsnaz, or India’s Para SF, is infamous for providing specialized training to terrorist organizations.
Established in 1955, the SSG, also known as the “Black Storks” and “Maroon Berets”, operates from its headquarters in Tarbela, located in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
While the exact number of SSG members remains classified, its activities have drawn significant international attention.
According to intelligence sources, the SSG began training 300 Hizb ut-Tahrir operatives in September 2023, primarily at facilities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
These operatives were transported to Pakistan in 12 batches of 25 individuals each, often crossing borders through Bangladesh and India before reaching Pakistan.
This operation was directly coordinated by ISI.Founded in 1953, Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) is a radical splinter group of the Muslim Brotherhood, established by Sheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabhani, an Al-Azhar University-educated jurist.
Nabhani criticized the Muslim Brotherhood for its collaboration with Egyptian secularists like Gamal Abdel Nasser, leading a faction of more radical members to join his movement.
Today, Hizb ut-Tahrir operates in over 40 countries, advocating for the restoration of an Islamic Caliphate. The organization has a history of violence and connections to terrorist activities.
HuT views its members as the vanguard of political Islamism worldwide, instilling a sense of superiority and importance in its recruits. In Western countries, this sense of empowerment can appeal to marginalized Muslims, fostering loyalty to the organization.
In Eastern nations, HuT members often face imprisonment due to their radical activities.
Accurate estimates of HuT’s membership are difficult to obtain due to its clandestine nature. Members are organized into isolated cells, unaware of others’ identities, and the group operates numerous front organizations to create an illusion of widespread support.
Some individuals hold multiple memberships under false identities, further complicating efforts to assess the group’s actual size.
Counterterrorism researchers note that Hizb ut-Tahrir has been active in Bangladesh since the 1980s. The organization has infiltrated various colleges, universities, and even civil and military administrations under different guises. Its growing influence poses a significant threat to regional stability.
Media and intelligence reports reveal that two Bangladeshi Hizb ut-Tahrir operatives, Sabbir and Ridwan, were recently apprehended by Indian authorities.
These terrorists entered India with valid visas, posing as student tourists. During their stay, they participated in meetings aimed at establishing jihadist sleeper cells and discussing strategies for implementing Caliphate rule (Khilafah) in India by recruiting local youth.
Dipanjan Chakraborty, a former National Security Guard (NSG) official, has expressed concerns about the presence of thousands of similar sleeper cells in West Bengal. He highlighted the role of organized rackets that assist these infiltrators in obtaining Indian identity documents, including Aadhaar cards, ration cards, and birth certificates.
In Tripura, over 1,400 Muslim infiltrators were arrested in September 2024 alone. Allegations have also surfaced against several retired and dismissed officers of the Bangladesh Army, who are reportedly supplying weapons, ammunition, and explosives to Ansarullah Bangla Team (later rebranded as Ansar al-Islam, a local Al-Qaeda affiliate) and Hizb ut-Tahrir operatives.
Additionally, a well-organized weapons trafficking network from Myanmar’s Arakan State is funneling automatic rifles and other arms to these Bangladeshi terrorist groups.
The ISI’s training and deployment of Hizb ut-Tahrir operatives signify a grave threat to regional security. With their infiltration into India and Bangladesh, these terrorists aim to establish a network of sleeper cells and further their radical agenda.
The increasing presence of HuT in educational institutions and civil-military administration underscores the need for immediate and coordinated counterterrorism efforts.
Regional cooperation and intelligence sharing are crucial to dismantling these networks and preventing the spread of extremist ideologies.
Well time has come for India to strike back and strike deep and make all those planning to destabilize India pay through heavily.
