Terrorism and Pakistan

From TinWiki.org

Terrorism in Pakistan has been prevalent since the 1980s mostly by due to the Soviet-Afghan War, and the subsequent proxy war against the communists that continued for at least a decade. The war brought numerous fighters from all over the world to South Asia in the name of jihad, often financed by the United States or Saudi Arabia. These fighters, known as mujahideen, created havoc in Pakistan by carrying out terrorist activities inside the country well after the war officially ended.

The sectarian violence plaguing the country presently is also said to originate in the controversial Islamic policies of General Muhammad Zia ul-Haq initiated during his tenure from 1977 to 1988. These policies gave immense power to religious figures in the country, who in turn spread intolerant religious dogmas among the masses.

There have been many secessionists movements within Pakistan, the most significant of which is the Balochistan liberation movement. The movement gained momentum after the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, when then-East Pakistan successfully attained independence from Pakistan. The Balochistan Liberation Army is currently active in its efforts to achieve independence by employing guerrilla attacks on both civilian and military targets. The attacks frequently incorporate IEDs, and are often filmed and made available on the internet, apparently for propaganda purposes.