From the day that Ansar-ul-Sharia Pakistan was announced, the story behind this group didn’t make sense. They were after an audience that Pakistan never expected could be radicalized – the educated middle class.
Note that from their propaganda materials to their recruitment methodology, we are seeing a formal targeting of educated youth into heavily radicalized environments.
The recruitment is, has, and always will be done, at university campuses.
While the world’s focus has been getting Pakistan’s madrassas under control, the new proxy & terror groups are focused on new recruiting channels – colleges & universities.
Why colleges & universities?
The university environment gives a recruiter the ability to judge a candidate from many aspects before every making an approach. Students will demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and confidence in the classroom, but they will also demonstrate their leadership skills and ability to collaborate with others outside the classroom.
It’s literally the perfect environment to groom and recruit assets, which is why most intelligence services recruit from university campuses.
Who are they targeting for recruitment?
Those who are hostile to a “more liberal” lifestyle coming to Pakistan. Many will recall, while the TTP was in control of Swat, there were many reports in Karachi of women being harassed because of how they were dressed and how they behaved. Most of the harassment was done on the streets by those who are considered “jahil” or “uneducated.”
But there was another group that never said anything, but shared the same mentality as those who vocalized their opposition. This is the group that is being targeted for recruitment – those who want to do more than just voice their opposition.
