Pak's narco-terror push drives rampant drug abuse in Kashmir

New Delhi, Dec 18 Along with sponsoring terrorism, Pakistan has also been pushing drugs smuggling into Kashmir. The security agencies have red-flagged the neighbouring country recalibrating its hybrid war tactics in Jammu and Kashmir in which narco-terrorism is increasingly becoming a vital weapon.

Since late 1980s, when terrorism took roots in Kashmir, Pakistan's proxy war was driven primarily by infiltration of trained terrorists into the Valley. Local youth were lured to PoK where they were trained to indulge in terror activities.

Pakistan was able to provide money through a network of separatists and religious leaders. However, with demonetisation followed by abrogation of Article 370 and the crackdown on separatists, the money trail has been totally curbed. In order to keep the funding alive for the terror outfits, Pakistan has now moved on to drugs smuggling.

Narco-terrorism implies the nexus between drug syndicates and terrorists that facilitate and fund terrorist activities. In Kashmir, the nexus is vital for Pakistan to keep the place troubled. It has been pushing in drugs through the land route across the Line of Control and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab and through drones.

The BSF, Army and the J&K Police have busted several Pakistan-sponsored narco-terror modules and arrested several people. Many of these are the over-ground workers of terror outfits like the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.

In August 2022, the Border Security Force

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