Pakistan designates Iran-backed Zainebiyoun Brigade as terrorist group

• Published date: 22 April 2024
• Author: ARSHAD MEHMOUD/THE MEDIA LINE
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

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The move marks a significant step by Pakistani authorities to address concerns about extremist activities within its borders.

Pakistan's Ministry of Interior Affairs published a public notification on April 11 stating that "the Zainebiyoun Brigade is involved in activities that are deemed detrimental to the peace and security of the country," according to a copy of the notification seen by The Media Line.

This revelation underscores the seriousness of the threat posed by the group and strengthens the rationale behind Pakistani federal authorities' decision to designate the Zainebiyoun Brigade as a terrorist organization.

The notification further specified that the Federal Ministry has taken this action under the powers conferred by the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, by including the name of the Zainebiyoun Brigade in Schedule One, which lists banned organizations under the same law.

In January 2019, the US Treasury Department added the group to its financial blacklist, stating that it is composed of Pakistani nationals and provides "materiel support" to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The Zainebiyoun Brigade, composed primarily of the Pakistani Shiite community, has been mainly operating in Syria, where it has provided support to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and actively engaged in a war against ISIS.

The group's activities have drawn scrutiny from international observers, who have raised alarms about its potential to fuel sectarian tensions and instability in the region.

According to the Iranian news website Iran International, the Zainebiyoun Brigade was "formed by the IRGC after the Syrian civil war began," and has since "mobilized Pakistani Shiite militants who were then sent to fight forces opposite to Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, a close ally of Iran and Russia."

The media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces had confirmed in the past that law enforcement agencies successfully captured several militants belonging to the Zainebiyoun Brigade. When asked by The Media Line for further comment, they declined to answer due to the sensitive matter.

However, an anonymous senior official familiar with the issue confirmed that "in the context of ongoing terror incidents in the country, Islamabad believes that the potential return of these fighters might exacerbate religious civil unrest in certain restive regions of the country. Given this concern, they advocate for measures to...