Civil war in Afghanistan brought many misadventures into Pakistani society. The unending war and foreign intervention exacerbated internal religious tensions and increased in the flow of arms, suicide bombers, narcotics drugs and money into the country. Unauthorized weapon industries in FATA region flourished and an illegal arms trade in all provinces of the country continued without the supervision of the state. These are the main reasons why extremism and militancy is getting worse and young people are becoming more radicalized. Bloodshed grows and kidnapping is now at a level that broke all records.
The disturbance in Pakistan's two provinces has ramifications for the country's domestic security. Pakistani society paid heavy price backing the Afghan resistance against former Soviet Union and continues to witness suicide attacks despite sustained efforts to counter the deadly tactic. After the fall of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, the country joined the war on terror and now faces suicide terrorism in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. The Taliban groups in Pakistan disrupted every reconciliatory effort infiltrated into Southern Punjab as well. They received training from Waziristan and increasingly relying on suicide attacks to achieve major political objectives. Their members are willing to die to accomplish the mission and to cause maximum damage to the military targets. Suicide terrorism has been on the upswing in Pakistan since 2004 and it is notable that most of the suicide bombers have been teenagers who carrying out attacks across the country. They are targeting and destroying mostly primary and secondary schools of boys and girls.
The suicide academies operating in South and North Waziristan region train suicide bombers from across the world. First, they train then brainwash and finally fixe their prices. They export these human missiles to Afghanistan, Punjab, Chechnya, Ingushetia, Russia and now they might export them to Europe, UK and the Arab world.
Analysts believe that one of the reasons behind sabotaging schools is to keep children away from modern education. They have the agenda of destroying everything in Pakistan through all available means. They use children in their terrorist attacks, seduce young people and invite women to martyrdom mission. Once they are recruited and trained, they are threatening of dire consequences if they refuse to blow themselves up.
In July 2009, Washington Times reported that Taliban are buying children as young as seven years old to use them as suicide bombers in attacks against the police and army targets. "The ongoing price for child bombers has been fixed $7,000 to $14,000; the price depends on how quickly the bomber is needed and how close the child is expected to get to the target." The newspaper reported.
These well-trained bombers are used in Mosques, religious places, Churches, markets, military installations, police centers, public places, shrines and government offices. These acts of suicide terrorism, whether directed against political leaders or security forces or civilians, have strategic as well as tactical objectives. There are several suicide factories in both Pakistan and Afghanistan which prepare suicide bombers for the purposes of import and export.
The sacrifices of suicide bombers become a form of political theatre in response to the reaction of audience. Suicide terrorism has emerged as a modern insurgency tactic since the US intervention in Afghanistan and its drone attacks in Pakistan. As in my previous research papers, I emphasized the factors behind suicide terrorism needed to be addresses, because, poverty and unemployment are the breeding ground for terrorism. Terrorist forces in Pakistan and Afghanistan represent no specific ideology, sect or religion, their religion is killing of innocent people and depends on money laundering, narco-trafficking, black market economy and manpower. There are elements in both Pakistan and Afghanistan who is involved in illegal business of blood and drug does not want stability in the country. Their interests are in danger, protected in war not in peace.
The brainwashed teenager are being recruited and used by the terrorist groups based in Waziristan, FATA and parts of Afghanistan. The induction of young women into the suicide business is another development. In a Russian railway station, a Muslim woman suicide bomber killed innocent people. In a recent letter to the Law Enforcement Agencies, Home Secretary of Punjab province warned about the female suicide bomber wearing a burqa. This is what Pakistan has scored another distinction in the field of suicide terrorism, where suicide bombers can be hired to settle political, commercial and religious disputes.
The business of import and export of suicide bombers in Pakistan is not a new thing. Once, a Police Officer in Punjab told me that the business of suicide bombers recently flourished. In 2008, in Bhakkar District of Southern Punjab, a suicide bomber was purchased and used in a family dispute. In Tank district and in South and North Waziristan, several suicide bombers academies recruit young people, and export them in and outside the country.
A Punjabi Taliban member was arrested in Dera Ghazi Khan District in April 2011 who confirmed more than 350 suicide bombers are being trained in Mir Ali District of North Waziristan. In future, the import and export of suicide bombers can be considered a big security threat and their use by rival states will put in danger international security. Taliban are expected to resort to using women-bombers.
In an incident, a teenager suicide bomber arrested in Karachi revealed about the Taliban suicide schools for brainwashing young men. Taliban teachers deliver lecture on religious issues to brainwash young men to join their ranks and carry out suicide attacks. These terrorists are looking for young boys day and night and turning them into suicide bombers. When they kidnap teenagers from schools, streets or parks, then they come into a business terms with the parents of the kidnapped children.
They pay them three to ten thousand Pounds sterling for one child. Recent confirmed reports revealed about the recruitment of more than 5000 to 6000 young suicide bombers waiting for their turn. Afghanistan has the same gory story of suicide terrorism since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001. Afghan Taliban has also set up several suicide training centers in north-eastern, Western and Southern parts of the country. These training centers are now working on permanent bases.
They receive money and other financial assistance from business community based outside Afghanistan. Long War Journal in one of its article revealed that these terror centers have been established in eight districts of Kunar Province. Afghan and Pakistani teenagers who were kidnapped by Taliban men for recruiting reached Karachi and Peshawar carrying out target killings and a suicide attack. A DIG police in Punjab revealed to me the fact that the main source of Taliban terror finance in Punjab is kidnapping which is now the single largest source of revenue. The ransoms paid tend to run high, ranging from $40,000 to $50,000.