A senior Nepalese official has warned that Pakistani terror outfits may use Nepal’s geographical terrain to attack India. This confirmed the long-standing concerns of Indian security agencies.
Speaking at a seminar of challenges to regional peace and security in Kathmandu, Sunil Bahadur Thapa confirmed these speculations. He is the principal advisor to Nepal’s President and a former industry minister. Mr Thapa said UN-sanctioned Pakistan-based groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) have ties to Al-Qaeda. These ties pose security threats to India. He added that they may exploit Nepal as a transit route for their nefarious objectives.
Also read: Bilawal Bhutto admits Allegiance of ISI and Pakistan Army with Terrorists
Historic Incidents Fuel Concerns
He highlighted incidents such as the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 from Kathmandu. This exemplified how Nepal was vulnerable to terrorism. Other examples include the 2013 arrest of Abdul Karim Tunda. He was a top LeT terrorist involved in over 40 bombings in India. Tunda was held on the India-Nepal border in 2013. Mirza Dilshad Beg, an assassinated Indian-Nepali parliamentarian who had links with Dawood Ibrahim’s D-company and ISI is another similar case.
In another instance, Nepalese police nabbed Indian Mujahideen’s co-founder Yasin Bhatkal in 2013. They later handed him over to Indian authorities. In April 2024, UP ATS detained two Pakistani nationals, Mohammed Altaf Bhat and Sayyed Gajanfar. They also detained an aide, Nasir Ali, near the Nepal border. This highlights the ongoing threat. A Nepalese citizen was targeted by jihadis in Pahalgam. The attack was based on their Hindu faith. This happened in April this year. This also caused protests to erupt in Nepal against Pakistani terrorism.
Entire South Asia Suffers
Dr. Minendra Rijal, Former Defence Minister of Nepal, stressed that a terrorist attack on India will have spillover effects on Nepal. He said that Pakistan’s terrorist agenda caused SAARC to become inactive. As a result, economic integration came to a halt in South-Asia. He called for global efforts against terrorism.
Experts Call for Regional Unity
The Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE) organized the seminar. It focused on “Terrorism in South Asia: Challenges to Regional Peace and Security.” It convened top policymakers, ex-officials and experts to discuss the regional terror threat. Participants emphasised that terrorism threatens security, economic stability, and regional integration. They stressed the need for global unity and cooperation to combat terrorism. The participants cited the importance of India-Nepal coordination through joint border patrols and intelligence exchange.
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