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First Post
11-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
‘Pakistan's Lashkar, Jaish pose threat to India, Nepal must not become transit for terror'
The warning from the Nepali official came while speaking at a high-level seminar organised by the Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE) in Kathmandu on July 9. read more Amid the brewing tensions between India and Pakistan, Nepalese officials warned that terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) pose serious risks to India and can use Nepal as a transit route. The warning came from Sunil Bahadur Thapa, Advisor to the President of Nepal. Thapa made the warning while speaking at a high-level seminar organised by the Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE) in Kathmandu on July 9. According to the information obtained by CNNNews18, the event focused on addressing terrorism threats in wider South Asia. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The event featured a host of participants, regional experts and policy makers who raised concerns over growing instances of terrorist attacks across South Asia. Nepal faces the spillover effect. At the seminar, several speakers noted how terror attacks in India often have spillover effects on Nepal. They noted that terrorist incidents undermine regional peace and stability in both India and Nepal. The experts emphasised that Pakistan's support for terrorism poses a major hurdle to the effectiveness of SAARC and broader regional integration. At the seminar, Nepalese officials called for counter-terrorism cooperation, including stricter action against money laundering, enhanced intelligence sharing, and joint patrolling of borders with India. It also urged regional actors to avoid applying double standards while tackling terrorism. According to CNNNews18, several experts cited the success of Operation Sindoor, calling it an effective response to cross-border threats. Why Nepal should be concerned It is pertinent to note that India and Nepal share a 1,751 km-long open border, which operates with minimal security checks. The porous borders make it easier for terrorists to infiltrate into the Indian territories. The terrorists often use forged Nepalese documents to conceal their identities. Over the years, several operatives from Pakistan-based outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed have been arrested while attempting to enter India through Nepal. One of the tragic examples is the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC-814. The aircraft bound to Delhi from Kathmandu was hijacked after the terrorists boarded with weapons, exposing serious lapses in security at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
LeT-Jaish terrorists from Pakistan may use Nepal as transit to enter India
The Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE) organized a high-level seminar on 'Terrorism in South Asia: Challenges to Regional Peace and Security' on July 9 in Kathmandu. Sunil Bahadur Thapa, Advisor to the President of Nepal and former Minister of Industry, shared that Groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which are UN-designated terrorist organizations, have historical ties to Al-Qaida and operate in Pakistan, posing risks to India and potentially using Nepal as a transit point. Dr. Minendra Rijal, Former Defence Minister of Nepal, stressed that a terrorist attack on India will have spillover effects on Nepal. He noted that Pakistan's promotion of terrorism has not only made SAARC inactive but also hindered regional economic integration and caused significant economic loss for Pakistan. He called for global unity—similar to the solidarity seen after the September 11 attacks in the United States—to combat terrorism effectively. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Design & Build Your Dream Office Officebanao Book Now Undo Chanda Chaudhary, Member of Parliament and former Minister for Women, Children, and Senior Citizens, highlighted the importance of curbing money laundering as a means to prevent cross-border terrorism. Shisir Khanal, former Minister, appreciated India's immediate and forceful response, including military action through 'Operation Sindoor' and diplomatic expulsions of Pakistan has established a new threshold in regional counter-terrorism. Dr. Dinesh Bhattarai, former Diplomat and Advisor to Former Prime of Nepal shared Pahalgam attack was the deadliest attack in recent years, because the victims were brutally killed after asked them to disclose their religion and shot in their head. NP Saud, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Irrigation, stated that Nepal and regional powers should develop a clear mechanism to control terrorism, warning that terrorism affects everyone indiscriminately. Live Events Dr. Purna Silwal, former Major General of the Nepal Army, emphasized that countries must avoid double standards in counter-terrorism efforts if terrorism is to be eradicated. Ambassador Madhu Raman Acharya, former Foreign Secretary of Nepal stressed on the need for intelligence sharing and joint border patrolling between India and Nepal. He added that in the fight against terrorism we are with India. Sumitra Karki, Director of NIICE, referred to the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC-814 from Kathmandu by Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and the April terror attack in Pahalgam by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba that killed 26 civilians, including one Nepali national, to highlight Nepal's vulnerability to terrorism. Dr. Pramod Jaiswal, Research Director at NIICE, stated that Pakistan has been the epicenter of terrorism in South Asia, with a history of nurturing and harboring terrorists. He also cited a recent admission by Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, who publicly acknowledged that Pakistan had supported, funded, and trained terrorists for nearly three decades for the US, UK, and Western interests. The seminar brought together senior political leaders, former ministers, security experts, academicians, and scholars, and was attended by over 150 participants, including members of the diplomatic community, civil society, policymakers, security personnel, journalists, and academics.
