Perilous Convergence

The growing ISI-ISKP alliance marks a dangerous evolution in Pakistan's proxy strategy, threatening not only India's security but also regional and global stability

- SHANTANU MUKHARJI

The world must recognise Pakistan's role in strengthening ISKP and hold it accountable

The Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP), an affiliate of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), has over time become one of the most lethal terrorist organisations in South and Central Asia since its establishment in 2015. Operating across both sides of the Durand Line in Afghanistan and Pakistan, ISKP has expanded its influence, posing a serious threat to regional stability. Initially viewed with suspicion by Pakistan's security establishment, the group has gradually been courted by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to serve Pakistan's strategic objectives. This convergence has reshaped terrorism in South Asia and introduced new threats to India and neighbouring countries.

ISKP emerged when emissaries of the Islamic State reached out to defectors from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Afghan Taliban, and other militant outfits to form a Khorasan branch dedicated to advancing a global Caliphate. The region-covering parts of modern Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Central Asia-was chosen for its symbolic significance and strategic location.

ISKP made swift territorial gains in its early years, notably in Nangarhar province, before being pushed back by the Afghan Taliban. Unlike al-Qaeda, which cooperated with the Taliban, ISKP has remained locked in rivalry with it-competing for recruits, resources, and legitimacy as the leading jihadist force in Afghanistan.

Pakistan's ISI has long used militant groups as tools of foreign policy-to secure strategic depth in Afghanistan and wage asymmetric warfare against India. The Taliban's return to power in 2021 presented a dilemma for Islamabad. Once a dependent ally, the Taliban began asserting autonomy and rejecting Pakistani interference. To retain leverage, ISI turned to ISKP as a proxy instrument to counter both the Taliban and the TTP.