KARACHI: Religious organisations outlawed by former president Pervez Musharraf continue promoting terrorism in Karachi by distributing material to convince the youth to enlist themselves in the name of jihad, Daily Times learnt on Monday.

Sources revealed that Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Harkatul Mujahideen, 313 Brigade, Jaish-e-Muhammad and various other banned outfits have been campaigning to recruit new militants.

Daily Times also learnt that various militant organisations’ activists, who had scattered because of a crackdown by the previous government, were uniting with their groups once more.

It is pertinent to mention here that the federal interior ministry has warned the provincial authorities through a communiqué that pro-militant literature, video CDs and the like were commonly available and being distributed at religious seminaries and mosques after Friday prayers in most cities in the provinces of Sindh, Punjab and the NWFP. While the government appears to be taking action by launching operations against the terrorists across Pakistan, terrorist organisations are gradually gaining strength by continuing their promotional drive through literature and videos.

The interior ministry has directed the authorities concerned for more focused and sustained efforts to prevent propagation of such material as well as taking preventive measures.

The ministry has also urged to conduct raids on printing presses, seminaries and mosques as well as barring unwanted websites from public viewing.

Sources pointed out that mosques and seminaries under the influence of radical forces continued recruiting the youth and sending them to militant training in different areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

A source privy to the matter disclosed that training of the mujahideen needed to be stopped since changes in the current scenario were opening new routes for hiring new militants.

The source said every organisation was trying to get back their members who had scattered since the crackdown.

Splinter terrorist organisations have also appeared after the crackdown, but the organisations were being restructured and the members were uniting, the source added.

A senior leader of a banned religious outfit told Daily Times, “We are at war and the material, especially the CDs showing the achievements of the mujahideen, attract Muslims toward jihad and they are encouraged by listening to the lecture before an explosion.”

He added, “We have completed all our missions against the infidels and their allied forces either in Pakistan or Afghanistan. We have shown the required spirit of jihad and a true Muslim would be easily convinced for jihad against the enemies of the Muslims.”

He said the mujahideen and all the organisations banned in Pakistan were cooperating with the Taliban because of their similar agendas. He pointed out that the Taliban had no intention of fighting against the Pakistani forces and that they were only defending themselves and retaliating in response to their attacks on them. Jihad is being carried out in Afghanistan and not in Pakistan, he added.

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