Al Qaeda and Taliban Nexus: Trends in Terrorism in Pakistan

Abstract

Pakistan is located in a volatile region where non-state actors are involved in sabotage activities at large. For the last four decades, Afghanistan remained the epicenter of militant activities in the region as well as in the rest of the world. Before 9/11, dozens of militant groups have found this land a safe haven for their terrorist activities and threaten the peace of the region at large. Pakistan is the most affected country in the world inter of human and financial loss. Due to the Afghan crisis, thousands of militants shifted their activities towards FATA and the rest of the country. Taliban and Al Qaeda are the two important groups who have martyred thousands of innocent people in Pakistan, especially Pashtun, and damaged the already vulnerable economy further. This paper will analyze the factors responsible for the nexus of the militant group and also their effect on Pakistan.