Narco-Terrorism and Pakistan

In the shadowy corridors of geopolitics and asymmetric warfare, narco-terrorism has emerged as one of the most dangerous tools used by rogue states and non-state actors alike. When we speak of narco-terrorism, one country frequently appears at the intersection of this lethal nexus: Pakistan.

- SYED JAHANZEEB

A nation where intelligence agencies, militant outfits, and drug cartels have forged alliances that blur the lines between ideology and illicit profit, Pakistan stands accused of exporting both terror and heroin to fund a complex web of destabilization in South Asia, particularly in India and Afghanistan.

To understand Pakistan's involvement in narco-terrorism, one must first peel back the layers of its strategic depth doctrine. Since the 1980s, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan's premier spy agency, has played a pivotal role in shaping regional conflicts. Initially, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan provided Pakistan with an opportunity to partner with the United States in training and funding mujahideen fighters. However, that war also laid the foundation for a parallel economy built on drugs. Vast poppy fields in Afghanistan, protected by warlords and smugglers, began to funnel opium into Pakistan. This opium, refined into heroin in clandestine labs often located in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), soon found its way to Europe and beyond. The profits were staggering. According to various estimates, by the late 1980s, drug trafficking had become a billion-dollar industry in Pakistan. While the world looked at Pakistan as a key ally in the Cold War, its military-intelligence complex was already entangled in a silent, yet immensely profitable war of drugs. Narco-money became a major funder of extremist groups, many of which later evolved into global terror networks.