Tensions between Pakistan and India flared up in the past few weeks. The two nuke-powered rivals were almost at the brink of war. Though the war has been averted, permanent solution is nowhere in sight.

Long known as a peaceful country, Nepal has no stake with the current situation involving Pakistan and India. However, observers have expressed concern that Nepal should remain vigilant given the fact that the Pakistan-based terrorists were found to have used Nepali territory in the past.

India wants Pakistan to hand over Masood Azhar, the leader of Jaish-e-Mohammad leader to it since the group has been responsible for the series of terrorist attacks in Indian cities in the past. Pakistan, however, has not complied with the demand so far. Azhar, who has been declared a terrorist by India, the USA, the UN and other countries including Britain, France and the USSR, is taking shelter in Pakistan.

The latest tension between India and Pakistan sparked by Jaish-e-Mohammad, a Pakistan based terrorist group that ambushed, and killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) members on the 15th February. In retaliation, India launched a surgical strike inside the Pakistani territory targeting the terrorist camp.

Later, both the countries were involved in a dog fight. Pakistan had held captive, Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman after downing his aircraft. It released the pilot as a “gesture of peace” dowsing the fire of possible war.

India wants Pakistan to hand over Masood Azhar, the leader of Jaish-e-Mohammad leader to it since the group has been responsible for the series of terrorist attacks in Indian cities in the past. Pakistan, however, has not complied with the demand so far. Azhar, who has been declared a terrorist by India, the USA, the UN and other countries including Britain, France and the USSR, is taking shelter in Pakistan.

How Nepal gets dragged into

Nepal has no direct involvement with the latest Indo-Pak feuds. Yet, members of Pakistan based terrorist groups aided by Inter Service Intelligence (ISI): Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Indian Mujahideen are found to have used Nepali territory. Some of them were even detained from within Nepal. Therefore, there are chances that Nepal too could be dragged into the terrorism issue sooner or later. That is to say, Pakistan based terrorist groups could one day put Nepal into a grave danger.

Citing this reason, Arun Kumar Subedi, an expert on international affairs talking to Khabarhub said that expressing mere condolence on the Pulwama incident by Nepal does not suffice. He insists that Nepal needs to demand that Azhar be detained and handed over to India. He further warns that Nepal government needs to remain alert on the activities of Azhar’s group since he was the person responsible for an airplane hijack from the Tribhuvan International Airport in 1999.

“Nepal should remain on a high alert on the activities of terrorist groups since they don’t have any country or a territory,” said Devi Ram Sharma, former chief at the National Investigation Department adding, “Care should be taken that Nepal does not become another victim of terrorism.”

Since terrorism can grip the entire South Asian region given the incidents in neighboring India, Nepal should invest more in strengthening the security forces and it needs to reform and enhance the intelligence mechanism, opines Binoj Basnyat, a retired major general of Nepal Army. “If Nepal strengthens the surveillance mechanism against terrorist activities that shall contribute on regional security.” Hemanta Malla, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police echoes Basnyat’s views. “Given the possibility that Nepal may face the melt down of the Indo-Pak tension, it needs to strengthen the special bureau of the police,” said Malla.

Plane hijack by Jaish-e-Mohammad group

Jaish-e-Mohammad group had hijacked a New Delhi-bound Indian Airlines Flight 814 from the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on December 24, 1999. It was boarded by a total 189 persons including the crew members and passengers.

The terrorist group finally landed the plane at Kandahar International Airport in Afghanistan on the 25th December after following brief landings at other airports for fuel refills. The terrorists also killed a passenger in terms of the hijack. Kandahar airport was a safe haven for the terrorists for Afghanistan then was ruled by the terrorist group Taliban. Thus, they could comfortably put pressure on and negotiate with the Indian government.

The Indian government had no options than to give in to the pressure of the terrorists. Thus, it was forced to release various terrorists from Indian jails like: Masood Azhar, Sekh Ahamad Umar, Said Mushtak, among others.

Following this, India had stopped operating its flight to Nepal for a long time.

A report by a commission in Nepal to investigate the incident mentioned that those concerned had finalized the plane hijack plan through a meeting at the Central Zoo in Kathmandu.

Jamim Shah, a Nepalese national was also blamed for the hijack incident. Two unidentified assailants shot Shah to death in 2010 in Kathmandu.

Who is Masood Azhar?

Maulana Masood Azhar, the founder of Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist group was born in Punjab of Pakistan in 1968. A son of a school headmaster, he is an 8th grade drop-out of a regular school but obtained further education from a Madrasa. He has visited many countries including Britain, UAE and Afghanistan as an orthodox preacher on Islam in 1990s. Indian security force had arrested him in 1994 from Srinagar for entering India with fake documents.

Prevention is better than cure

Nepal cannot remain obvious of the terrorist activities in south Asia when the fear of terrorist attacks in various forms grips the world. Terrorism is an issue that no longer be ignored, especially when terrorist organizations are getting more ambitious and have been inventing new ways of launching proxy war.

Any delays to develop and execute counter terrorism mechanism could prove costly to the country. This is important especially because there are chances that terrorists might use Nepali youths to realize their evil dreams.