NEW DELHI: Emboldened by China’s support in blocking India’s efforts to ban Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) boss Maulana Masood Azhar by the United Nations, the outfit is now planning to wage jehad against interests and operations of American and European MNCs in the region in order to emerge as a regional terror player in the subcontinent.
Till now, the terror agenda of JeM was primarily limited to carrying out attacks in India, especially in Jammu and Kashmir even as the outfit has sympathiser base in Bangladesh, Maldives, UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The maximum following of the outfit is in Pakistan. The group is also seeking to extend its operational bases, according to inputs with security agencies. Earlier this month, Azhar exhorted his sympathisers that it is an obligation of the Muslims to target businesses run by non-Muslims in general and Christians and Jews specially. He has also released a list of about 20 MNCs whose products should be boycotted and operations hit.
As a tactical ploy, Azhar has refrained from specifically naming the US or its MNCs. “The support and shielding against ban by China at the UN has apparently made JeM and its chief more confident and now Azhar is fancying chances of becoming a regional terror stalwart. The group has now become more vocal not only against India and its entities but also against Western world in general and American and Jewish entities in particular, an official said.
Through its article, ‘Bad state of farmers and role of US multinationals and way out for Pakistan,’ the outfit sought to target the farmers as a recruitment base to further its jehadi tactic.
JeM’s efforts are aimed at fuelling discontent amongst farmers by blaming MNCs for their plight, enhancing recruitment base and subsequently trageting the interest of MNCs.