From Kabul to Kashmir, Tehran to London: How Pakistan's deep state fuels global terror

The recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir has once again spotlighted Pakistan’s long-standing and well-documented role as a state sponsor of terrorism. From harboring global jihadist leaders to exporting insurgents across borders, Pakistan’s complicity in extremist violence has spanned continents and decades.

For years, Pakistan’s military-intelligence complex, particularly the ISI, has orchestrated a network of terror groups, using them as strategic tools. Former Pakistani leaders have openly admitted this. In 2018, ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif hinted at the state’s involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks by Lashkar-e-Taiba. General Pervez Musharraf confessed to training militants for proxy war in Kashmir, calling it a tactic to force India into negotiations.

Just days ago, Pakistan’s own defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, in a candid conversation with Sky News, admitted that Islamabad had supported terror outfits at the behest of the US and other Western powers: “We have been doing this dirty work … for about three decades.”

Trail of blood: From South Asia to Europe

Pakistan’s terror infrastructure has destabilised not just its neighbors but far beyond. Its support for the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network led to brutal attacks in Kabul—including the 2008 Indian Embassy bombing and the 2011 assault on the US embassy.

In April, Russia uncovered potential links to Pakistani networks in the deadly Moscow concert hall attack, suspecting logistical and ideological backing.

Iran, too, has repeatedly blamed Pakistan for harboring the Sunni terror group Jaish ul-Adl, responsible for numerous cross-border attacks. In January 2024, Tehran launched drone strikes deep into Pakistani territory, targeting alleged terror camps.

The UK has also felt the impact. The July 7, 2005, London bombings were traced back to training and radicalization in Pakistan, where three of the attackers had spent extended periods.

Bin Laden, Bangladesh, and beyond

Perhaps the most damning episode was the 2011 US raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, barely a mile from Pakistan’s elite military academy. His years-long presence there raised serious questions about ISI’s collusion.

In Bangladesh, the ISI has been linked to funding and arming Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), the group behind the deadly 2016 Dhaka cafe attack. In 2015, Pakistani diplomats were expelled for funneling money to JMB operatives.

Training camps and safe havens

Despite global outrage, Pakistan continues to host a sprawling network of terror training camps across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Waziristan, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Groups like LeT, JeM, HM, and ISIS-Khorasan train there, often under the supervision of ex-army personnel.

The US State Department's 2019 terrorism report stated bluntly that Pakistan "continued to serve as a safe haven for certain regionally focused terrorist groups."

The European Foundation for South Asian Studies, in its report “Pakistan Army and Terrorism: An Unholy Alliance,” detailed the deeply embedded nexus between Pakistan’s military, the ISI, and radical clerics.

(With inputs from ANI)