Al Qaeda, ISIS 'Significant Challenge' To South Asia After Taliban Takeover In Afghanistan: Amit Shah

The minister further said that financing of terrorism is even more dangerous than terrorism itself, and that it cannot and should not be linked to any religion, nationality or group.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the third 'No Money for Terror' Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing, in New Delhi

Source : PTI

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said after the regime change in Afghanistan in August last year, the rising influence of Al Qaeda and ISIS has posed a significant challenge to regional security, changing the situation in the South Asian region.   

Addressing a session at the 3rd 'No Money for Terror Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing', Shah said, “Three decades ago, the whole world has had to bear the serious consequences of one such regime change, the result of which we all have seen in the horrific attack of 9/11.” The Union Minister was hinting at Taliban's rise in power in Afghanistan during 1990s, after the withdrawal of Soviet forces and collapse of the USSR.   

Without naming Taliban, Shah said the new equation has made the problem of terror financing more serious.

Raising concern over last year’s regime change, he said, "Along with al Qaeda, organisations in South Asia like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed continue to spread terror."

"We also have to expose the double-speak of such elements who sponsor and support them. Therefore, it is important that this Conference, the participating countries, and the organisations, should not take a selective, or complacent perspective of the challenges of this region," he added.

The minister further said that financing of terrorism is even more dangerous than terrorism itself, and that it cannot and should not be linked to any religion, nationality or group.

“Terrorism is, undoubtedly, the most serious threat to global peace and security. But I believe that the financing of terrorism is more dangerous than terrorism itself because the ‘means and methods’ of terrorism are nurtured from such funding,” Shah said.

In a veiled attack on Pakistan, he said that there are countries that “undermine or even hinder” the collective resolve to fight terrorism.

“We have seen that some countries protect and shelter terrorists, protecting a terrorist is equivalent to promoting terrorism. It will be our collective responsibility that such elements never succeed in their intentions,” Shah said.