Pakistan remains central source of instability in South Asia: Report

Washington, Nov 26 The November 10 terrorist attack near Delhi's Red Fort carried out by a suicide bomber recruited by the Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) underscored how Pakistan-backed outfits are upgrading their recruitment and fundraising methods following India's decisive Operation Sindoor in May that destroyed several of their operational centres, a report said on Wednesday.

Before the Delhi attack, Indian authorities busted a terror network spanning three regions in India, including Jammu and Kashmir. Authorities seized almost 2,900 kilogrammes of explosive materials near Delhi — among them 360 kilogrammes of ammonium nitrate -- confiscated assault rifles, and arrested at least 10 doctors connected to the plot.

“The scope of the seizure suggests that the ‘white collar’ terrorist cell planned multiple coordinated attacks capable of mass casualties far exceeding the Delhi bombing. A hypothesis remains that the Delhi suicide bomber, Dr. Umar Nabi, acted independently after authorities preempted the larger plot and detained his associates. Nabi and another doctor from Kashmir were allegedly connected with JeM recruiters via Telegram and met their handlers in Turkey. It can be assessed with high confidence that the duo’s alleged meeting with their handlers overseas likely facilitated access to explosives, funding, and logistical support,” Siddhant Kishore, a Washington-based national security and foreign policy analyst wrote in ‘The Cipher Brief’.

“The revelation of the white-collar terrorist network in India marks a shift in Pakistan-based terrorist groups’ recruitment strategies—from radicalising uneducated youth to mobilising educated professionals with specialised skills. At the same time, JeM and other groups have shifted their financing from traditional banking channels to fintech platforms, mobile wallets, and decentralised digital payment systems. Together, these trends illustrate a strategic recalibration: a move toward more sophisticated, less detectable forms of proxy warfare aimed at destabilising India’s internal security and social cohesion," he added.

The report stressed that against this backdrop, the United States must reassess its deepening ties with Pakistan’s military establishment, which remains a central source of instability in South Asia. It further warns that Washington’s growing diplomatic and economic engagement with Pakistan risks weakening long-term regional stability if it overlooks Islamabad’s dual strategy of posing as a counter-terror ally while nurturing terrorist proxies.

“Washington must reexamine the foundations of its Pakistan strategy. The United States should leverage its political influence and aid frameworks to condition engagement on measurable counterterror reforms: dismantling militant networks, enforcing digital financial oversight, and halting cross-border militant activity. Without such conditionality, the United States risks legitimising a regime that fuels the very instability it claims to combat,” the report noted.

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