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- April 13, 2024
- Kainat Shakeel
- 0
ISLAMABAD: Experts claimed on Friday that Pakistan labeled the Iran-backed militant group Zainebiyoun Brigade, which is made up of Pakistani citizens and has been active in Syria, as a “terrorist” group when it started to pose a threat to national security. According to a notification released by the interior minister of Pakistan on March 29, which surfaced on Thursday, the government had grounds to suspect that the Zainebiyoun Brigade was involved in certain acts “prejudicial to the peace and security of the country.” The Iran-backed outfit was ranked 79th on Pakistan’s National Counter Terrorism Authority’s (NACTA) most recent official list of prohibited groups.
The Zainebiyoun Brigade has been on the US Treasury’s financial blacklist since January. In 2019, Pakistani authorities detained several militants associated with the group, mostly in Karachi, the nation’s commercial center and a major base for the terrorist outfit’s recruitment, as well as in three other regions: Parachinar, Quetta, and Gilgit Baltistan. Security analysts claim that because of the threat the Zainebiyoun Brigade posed to Pakistan’s security in the current situation, Islamabad decided to outlaw the group.
Security analyst Abdullah Khan, headquartered in Islamabad, warned Arab News that Zainebiyoun’s actions “may trigger major sectarian conflict as it used to be in Pakistan some time ago as retaliation by Sunni extremist groups may further complicate the environment.” Following Iran’s attacks within Pakistan, a Pakistani official, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that the Zainebiyoun Brigade was designated as a proscribed group. “After Iran’s attack inside Pakistan, a high-level meeting took place to make the decision, which was put into effect on March 29,” the official told the media. “The adoption of this decision was further prompted by the insurgents’ increasing attacks in Balochistan by Iranian-based groups.”