IS and AQ Inroads in Pakistan and Future Implications

Abstract

Despite much havoc in Middle East during last five years, the South Asian theatre of Global War on Terror (GWOT) has remained at a crossroads. It is because of two essential reasons. Firstly, a plethora of Islamist terrorist groups still operating and perpetrating acts of terrorism and secondly coupled with it the country continues to be of pivotal importance for global, regional and local Islamist terrorist groups because of its rich jihadi landscape. Simply put the importance of Pakistan in terms of growth,
presence, and existing strengths of jihadist cadres continue to persist.In view of the existing situation the article aims to analyze the current status of Al-Qaeda and ISIS branches and the inroads they intend to develop in the region and the conditions under which these groups might strengthen and continue to benefit from the rich jihadi landscape of Pakistan; and finally the article would draw attention towards implications amid the current situation.