In a move that’s raising alarms across the globe, Pakistan’s army is extending overt support to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, allowing these extremists to maintain their operations. This lifeline is empowering homegrown terrorists like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, who are rallying support from Muslim countries for attacks in Gaza and Kashmir.
Sunday’s report paints a grim picture: Pakistan’s growing engagement in the Middle East is injecting fuel into South Asia’s powder keg, fostering ideological rifts and proxy battles that could engulf neighboring regions.
Pakistan’s long history of shielding terror groups is well-documented. Even after formal bans under global scrutiny, LeT and JeM operate freely via proxies and sympathetic structures.
Escalating military involvement in the Middle East alongside public endorsements of jihadist outfits transforms a local issue into a transnational nightmare. Pakistani political circles and religious forums have embraced Hamas—evidenced by the parliamentary welcome to Khaled Qaddoumi in early 2024 and his appearance at a PoK event last February.
This hospitality is uniting disparate terror factions against shared enemies: the West, Israel, and India. With Hamas blacklisted by major powers, Pakistan’s embrace poses severe risks.
Domestically, it attracts international militants to Pakistan’s radical ecosystems. Internationally, it reinforces stereotypes of Pakistan as terrorism’s enabler.
Concerns mount over aid from Hamas and the Brotherhood to Pakistan-based groups, with their representatives’ visits underscoring organized backing for LeT and JeM. The region braces for heightened terror as these alliances deepen.