Pakistan and State Terrorism - Allegations of Pakistan-backed Terrorism in India

Allegations of Pakistan-backed Terrorism in India

The government of Pakistan has been accused of aiding terrorist organizations operating on their soil who have attacked neighboring India. Pakistan denies all allegations, stating that these acts are committed by non-state actors. The country has had a history of instability and military coups with General Zia-ul-Haq starting a guerilla holy war, jihad against non-Muslim countries, in the early 1980s' and which is being perpetuated by General Pervez Musharraf who came to power after overthrowing Nawaz Sharif in 1999 and Asif Zardari who came to power with the assassination of his wife Benazir Bhutto, allegedly by the Taliban and Al Qaeda, in 2008. The country also blames the US and India for inciting terrorism on their soil,

India alleged that the recent 2008 Mumbai attacks originated in Pakistan, and that the attackers were in touch with a Pakistani colonel and other handlers in Pakistan. This led to a UN ban on one such organisation, the Jama'at-ud-Da'wah, which the Pakistani government is yet to enforce.

On 5 April 2006, the Indian police arrested six Islamic militants, including a cleric who helped plan bomb blasts in Varanasi. The cleric is believed to be a commander of a banned Bangladeshi Islamic militant group, Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami, and is linked to the ISI.