Growing presence of Pakistani radicals in Europe raises alarm for Israel

Genoa is a warning for Italy and Europe, to pay closer attention to Pakistani migrants and asylum seekers, it also should be a red flag to Israel given the globalization of jihad.

Israel has declared these groups to have close terroristic links stating that Europe could become a nursing ground for such cross-pollination of terror, given the hate for Israel that is found in Pakistan, the Times of Israel reported.

When arrest warrants were issued for fourteen Pakistanis in Italy connected with the terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris in September 2020, Europe felt a sudden jolt as it confirmed the growing presence of Pakistani radicals in Europe. The people of Pakistani origin (or nationality) that were arrested in Genoa are said to be a part of the "Gabar Group".

While Genoa comes as a warning for Italy and Europe, to pay closer attention to Pakistani migrants and asylum seekers, it has become a red flag to Israel amid perpetration of jihad on a global level.

As per local media reports, a two-year-long investigation unravelled the active existence of a terrorist cell formed by young Pakistanis in several Italian provinces and in some European countries. Calling for terrorist attacks against those who insult the Prophet or Islam, the extremist sympathisers network across Europe through social media platforms calling for terrorist attacks against those who insult the Prophet or Islam.

Moreover, Pakistani terror supporters have been under a constant watch in the UK, Spain, Italy, France and Germany ever since the arrest of a Pakistani national, Zaheer Hassan Mahmood, for stabbing two persons outside the French magazine office in Paris in September 2020, Times of Israel reported.

The magazine had published allegedly insulting cartoons of Prophet Muhammad.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan had openly supported militant organizations like Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to take over the streets of Pakistan demanding the ouster of the French Ambassador.

In December 2020, French authorities arrested four more Pakistani nationals who had prior knowledge of the attack and were encouraging Mahmood to carry out the attack through social media. Mahmood confessed to be a member of a proselytization group based in Pakistan, Dawat-e-Islami. He told his interrogators that he was influenced by the Dawat-e-Islami founder, Mullah Ilyas Qadri.

Taking another example into consideration, the Barelvi group, which claims to be non-violent and non-political, became prominent in 2011 when one of its followers, Mumtaz Qadri shot the then Punjab Governor Salman Taseer.

Many members of the group were found to be a part of the Barelvi militant group, Sunni Tehreek. The Pakistan military was anxious about the group and its activities within the armed forces, especially the Pakistan Air Force.

In February this year, Spain arrested five more persons, all Pakistanis, for networking with the Paris attacker, the Times of Israel reported, citing sources.

These persons were using social networks to urge compatriots to attack those who raise their voices against Islam and were later arrested in Barcelona, Gerona, Ubeda (Jaen), and Granada, it added.

All of them admitted to being members of TLP, a group which had the support of the Imran Khan government as well as the army. With active and numerous followers in Spain, France, Greece and Italy, these men were circulating audiovisual material through Facebook and Tik-Tok which glorified terrorist attacks.

According to the Italian ambassador to Pakistan, Andreas Ferrarese, as of February 2021, there are around 200,000 Pakistanis in Italy and only 140,000 are documented. This also gives rise to a large number of Pakistanis with European passports who can freely travel to Israel without visas, he said, adding that the growing networking of extremist groups in Europe may cause harm to Israel in the longer run. (ANI)