New Delhi, Feb 9 (NationPress) Following a deterioration in relations with the Afghan Taliban, Pakistan has initiated a search for discontented elements, aiming to recruit them into Jaish-e-Mohammed. Indian intelligence agencies have discovered that the ISI is specifically targeting dissidents from the Afghan Taliban and other splinter groups. The objective is to incorporate these individuals into Jaish-e-Mohammed.

An official indicated that the plan involves these recruits directly infiltrating India from Afghanistan. Additionally, the ISI aims to weaken the Afghan Taliban, with which it currently faces significant challenges. This new approach has been adopted as terrorists stationed at launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) are struggling to penetrate into India. Security measures have reached unprecedented levels following the Pahalgam attack and the subsequent Operation Sindoor.

Another official noted that this tactic has historical precedent. Following the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, numerous Afghan fighters were redirected to Kashmir to engage in combat against India.

According to intelligence reports, the effort to recruit Afghan Taliban dissidents is intensifying due to a growing sense of desperation. Currently, only about 50 terrorists of Pakistani origin remain in Kashmir, an insufficient number for sustained military action. Furthermore, security forces have launched an extensive operation to eradicate the remaining terrorists.

Success has been notable, with the number of Pakistani-origin terrorists decreasing from 600 in 2019 to just 50 today. This situation has raised alarms within ISI circles. Both the ISI and the Pakistan Army face immense pressure from groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, who question the military’s inability to facilitate infiltrations. They recognize that to survive, they must intensify their conflict in Kashmir, and with infiltration rates plummeting, achieving their objectives seems increasingly bleak.

As per an Intelligence Bureau official, around 1,500 terrorists are poised at launchpads in PoK. Every infiltration attempt since the Indian armed forces' Operation Sindoor has failed. Among the 50 remaining terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, many have combat experience from their time fighting against NATO forces in Afghanistan. Reports indicate that several veterans have been recruited into Jaish-e-Mohammed and deployed in the Valley.

In a recent operation that resulted in the elimination of Jaish-e-Mohammed members, it was uncovered that two of the terrorists had previous combat experience in Afghanistan before joining the group and being sent to Kashmir. The ISI is also attempting to create discord within the Afghan Taliban to weaken it further. Relations have soured, leading to significant frustration on both sides, with Pakistan’s security forces suffering casualties.

Weakening the Taliban while trying to bring it on board is currently a top priority for Pakistan. Simultaneously, there is pressure from China, which insists on including Afghanistan in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Project 2.0. Strapped for cash, Pakistan is eager for this project to succeed. The Chinese government has urged Pakistan to secure the cooperation of the Afghan Taliban at any cost, heightening the pressure on Islamabad to both weaken and align with the Taliban.