Sherry Rehman, Vice President of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), admitted to Pakistan’s historical links to terrorism but sidestepped pointed questions about the al-Qaeda-affiliated Brigade 313 during a heated exchange with Sky News journalist Yalda Hakim.
“You keep bringing up the past because it was,” Ms Rehman told Ms Hakim, responding to queries about Pakistan’s record of harbouring extremist groups. “We are fighting terrorism. Pakistan is a changed country now.”
Hakim, citing the Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium (TRAC), described Brigade 313 as a Pakistan-based terrorist outfit tied to al-Qaeda, comprising members from groups such as the Taliban, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami. “Brigade 313 is al-Qaeda in Pakistan,” she stated, adding that the group is a “hub for terrorism” known for orchestrating attacks in Kashmir.
Pressing Rehman on whether Pakistan should bear responsibility for repeated attacks in India, particularly those linked to Brigade 313, Hakim asked, “Am I going to war every time there is an attack in India?” Ms Rehman deflected, retorting, “There are a hundred insurgencies running in India. Are we responsible for what goes on there?”
The discussion also touched on Pakistan’s prolonged inclusion on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list until 2022. Hakim questioned whether figures like Sajid Mir, a key planner of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, contributed to the delay in Pakistan’s removal. Ms Rehman responded vaguely, saying, “You’re citing a long history of engaging with terrorism one way or the other, either fighting it or otherwise.”
Brigade 313, formed in the early 2000s, reportedly draws its name from the 313 companions of Prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Badr. Led by Ilyas Kashmiri, a former Pakistani army-trained fighter who rose to prominence in al-Qaeda before his death in a 2011 US drone strike, the group is a coalition of terrorists from Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and others. Operating under al-Qaeda’s umbrella, it has collaborated with Pakistan’s Taliban factions and is considered part of al-Qaeda’s Lashkar al-Zil, or “Shadow Army.”
Experts describe Brigade 313 as one of al-Qaeda’s most dangerous formations in South Asia, responsible for high-profile attacks, including assassinations of Pakistani officials, bombings across the country, and plots linked to the Kashmir insurgency.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, recently admitted the country’s past role in supporting terror groups, stating, “We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades, and the West, including Britain.”