SADF Hosts Event on Cross Border Terrorism in South Asia

BRUSSELS, December 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

South Asia Democratic forum an independent think tank hosted an event on 28th November 2017 on the topic of "Cross Border Terrorism in South Asia" in the European Parliament, which included Mr. Fulvio Martusciello, MEP, Mr. Alberto Cirio, MEP, Mr. Paulo Casaca Executive Director SADF and Mr. Charles Hughes, Expert Counter Terrorism.

Mr. Fulvio Martusciello said that Cross-border terrorism has emerged as a great threat to the security of India. Terrorism originating from across the border has slowly attempted to strangle the democracy and sovereignty of India. The Chaman incident, India claimed that they have found two beheaded dead bodies of their soldiers near the Line of Control (LoC) who were brutally mutilated by Pakistan's special forces. While both these countries have inculpated their western neighbor for the cross-border infiltration and terrorism, India faced an additional concern of cross-border migration and human trafficking of Bengalis and Rohingyas refugees from the India-Bangladesh border.

Mr. Alberto Cirio, On 5th May 2017, Afghan security forces fired across the border at Chaman on Pakistani census workers and troops escorting them, killing nine and leaving thirty-three wounded. In the crossfire, Pakistani officials reported that six were killed on the Afghanistan's side. This has led to the series of crossfires between both the armies across the Durand Line (Pakistan-Afghanistan Border), and in the recent incident of yesterday, Pakistan army claimed to kill fifty Afghan soldiers and over a hundred injured as a retortion to 5th May cross-border attack on Chaman.

Mr. Charles Hughes, "There have been three other significant developments since 1993.  Having failed in its efforts to motivate the Sikh terrorists to take to economic terrorism, the ISI started making use of trans-national crime groups for organising terrorist strikes against economic targets.  Before March 1993, the Dawood Ibrahim group, which indulges in large-scale smuggling, money-laundering and other criminal activities, was operating from Dubai.  In March 1993, this group organised at the instance of the ISI a series of explosions directed at important economic targets in Mumbai---such as the local stock exchange, which is the biggest in India, a local hotel for tourists run by the Air India etc.. These are the tactics that are being used by the Pakistani Intelligence services."

In his concluding remarks, Mr.Paulo Casaca, Founder and Executive Director of SADF, expressed his wish for greater future cooperation between the European Union and South Asia.