Responses to Information Requests

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

1. Overview

According to the report on Pakistan by Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the security situation "varies" across the country (Australia 20 Feb. 2019, para. 2.69). Al Jazeera reports that "Pakistan has suffered the repercussions of four decades of instability as armed groups … flourished" along the country's 2,670 km-long border with Afghanistan (Al Jazeera 21 Oct. 2021). A report by the UK Home Office states that, in 2017, the provinces adjacent to Afghanistan, Balochistan, and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in the west "remained the areas where most militant and sectarian violence (suicide attacks and targeted killings) occurred, with Sindh (outside of Karachi), and Punjab experiencing the least" (UK Jan 2019, para. 2.4.11).

According to the 2020 crime and safety report on Islamabad by the US Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), "national statistics show terrorist violence across Pakistan is at its lowest level in the past decade, the result of a steady decline since a 2008-2009 spike"; however, "terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks" (US 17 Apr. 2020). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a journalist in Pakistan, who focuses on security issues and human rights, stated that "[i]n the past few years," Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, and Hyderabad "have been safe" (Journalist 27 Nov. 2021). However, in correspondence with the Research Directorate, a correspondent who covers Pakistan with a focus on human and civil rights as well as security issues, indicated that "organized crime remains a serious concern in each of these four locations, most notably in Karachi" (Correspondent 15 Dec. 2021). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a representative of the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), a research and advocacy think tank based in Pakistan (PIPS n.d.), provided the following data on terrorist violence, which were derived from their database on conflict and insecurity for 2021:

(PIPS 1 Dec. 2021)

The 2020 security report by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), a think tank and advocacy centre based in Pakistan (CRSS n.d.), provides the following statistics on the number of fatalities in 2019 and 2020 from terror attacks and counter-terror operations, broken down by region:

(CRSS 2021, 4)

The journalist indicated that attacks by the TTP and ISKP [2] are "limited" to "only" the Pakistan-Afghanistan border districts (Journalist 27 Nov. 2021). Zenger News, a digital news site headquartered in Texas (Zenger News n.d.), reports that the areas bordering Afghanistan including Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, "have seen the resurgence" of the TTP and Islamic State "in recent months" (Zenger News 17 Mar. 2021).

1.1 TTP

The correspondent indicated that the TTP is a "notable group" in Islamabad, Karachi, Hyderabad, and Lahore (Correspondent 15 Dec. 2021). The same source further noted that "as the group has increased operations against civilians and security forces in the country's northwest, there has been a corresponding increase in incidents of extortion or kidnapping for ransom carried out by its cells in major cities" (Correspondent 15 Dec. 2021). According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the TTP has "ramped up attacks" since the "Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan" (AFP 15 Nov. 2021). Anadolu Agency (AA), a state-run news agency in Turkey (BBC 8 Oct. 2018), reports that "[a]mid a deadlocked peace process and [the] withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan, TTP fighters are said to have regrouped and rearmed" (AA 6 Apr. 2021). According to SAMAA TV, a television news network in Pakistan (SAMAA TV n.d.), the Pakistan Minister of Interior "said that major cities in Pakistan, including Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Islamabad, were under threat from the TTP" (SAMAA TV 4 June 2021). AFP reports that according to data published by the TTP, the group "claimed 32 attacks in August [2021], 37 in September and 24 in October," as well as 149 "assaults" in 2020, which is "three times more than in 2019" (AFP 15 Nov. 2021).

1.1.1 Targets

According to AFP, the TTP "spar[es] civilians and order[s] attacks only on security and law enforcement officials" (AFP 15 Nov. 2021). SAMAA TV indicates that according to a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-based journalist, "the TTP has focused most of its attacks on the police and security forces since it reorganized itself" in 2020 (SAMAA TV 17 Mar. 2021).

1.2 ISKP

The correspondent stated that "there appears to be a resurgence in the formation" of ISKP cells (Correspondent 15 Dec. 2021). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

1.2.1 Targets

The journalist noted that TTP and ISKP target "law enforcement agencies, pro-Afghan Taliban leaders, and Shias" (Journalist 27 Nov. 2021). AFP reports that ISKP "has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in the region in recent years, massacring civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan, at mosques, shrines, public squares and even hospitals" (AFP 3 Nov. 2021). The same source further states that ISKP has "especially targeted Muslims from sects it considers heretical, including Shiites" and "remains bent on eradicating groups it considers apostates" (AFP 3 Nov. 2021).

2. Islamabad (Islamabad Capital Territory) (National Capital)

The Australian DFAT report on Pakistan notes that "other major cities generally have higher levels of violent crime than Islamabad, due to the large number of security personnel deployed in Islamabad relative to its population" (Australia 20 Feb. 2019, para. 2.97). The Nation, a newspaper from Pakistan, states that "[h]einous crime" decreased by "up to" 20 percent in Islamabad in 2020 compared to 2019 (The Nation 23 Dec. 2020).

In contrast, AA reports that, according to the Pakistan Minister of Interior, "terror incidents are on the rise in the capital" (AA 4 June 2021). Dawn, a newspaper in Pakistan, indicates that according to data provided to the Senate Standing Committee on Interior there has been an "upward trend" in the crime rate in Islamabad and in 2020 10,539 "cases" were registered, compared to 9,748 in 2019 (Dawn 24 Nov. 2021). The same source reports that according to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), "130 people have been murdered and 954 robbery, 585 theft and 47 rape cases" were reported in Islamabad in 2021 (Dawn 24 Nov. 2021).

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Islamabad Policy Institute (IPI), a "nonpartisan, independent policy research institute based in Islamabad" (IPI n.d.), indicated that in Islamabad, organized crime "is mostly linked to [the] activities of Afghanis," and that the mafia is "involved in drug trafficking, assassination, land grabbing, arms smuggling and various other illegal activities" (IPI 14 Dec. 2021). According to OSAC, in Islamabad "the number of reported crimes," including "residential crimes" such as burglary, robbery, theft, and assault, "has remained relatively steady over the past two years," (US 29 Oct. 2021). However, the same source notes that "crime statistical data can be underreported or inaccurate" (US 29 Oct. 2021).

2.1 Groups, Attacks, and Targets

The data provided by PIPS indicates that the TTP committed two terrorist attacks in Islamabad in 2021, which killed three people and injured two others (PIPS 1 Dec. 2021). According to the same data, the targets were security or law enforcement agencies (PIPS 1 Dec. 2021). SAMAA TV reports that in March 2021, "a head constable was killed and an inspector and a constable were injured" in Islamabad's Sector G-13 "when gunmen on motorcycles opened fire at them" (SAMAA TV 8 Mar. 2021). A different article by the same source states that the TTP "claimed responsibility for the attacks" (SAMAA TV 4 June 2021). According to AA, "[a]t least two police officers were killed in a 'terror attack'" by the TTP in June 2021 in Islamabad (AA 4 June 2021). Similarly, SAMAA TV indicates that two policemen were killed "in a gun attack" in June 2021 in Islamabad (SAMAA TV 4 June 2021).

3. Lahore (Capital of Punjab Province)

In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, a political analyst who researches the political situation, insurgency, and criminal networks in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region indicated that drug gangs, land extortion, and mafias exist in Lahore, but that crime is not as organized as in Karachi (Political analyst 30 Nov. 2021).

According to data from the Punjab Police, from 1 January 2021 to 31 October 2021, there were 531,022 reported crimes in Punjab province, including 54,566 crimes "[a]gainst [p]erson[s]," 157,965 crimes "[a]gainst [p]roperty," 158,910 offences against "[l]ocal [and] [s]pecial [l]aws," and 159,581 "[m]iscellaneous" crimes (Punjab [2021]). The police crime data also indicates that during the same period 3,668 murders, 5,732 attempted murders, 16,689 cases of kidnapping/abduction, 49 cases of kidnapping/ransom, 3,675 cases of rape, and 212 cases of gang rape were "registered" with the police in Punjab province (Punjab [2021]).

The CRSS report indicates that Punjab "had a unique security situation" in 2020, as its "total fatalities from violence" were the lowest of all the provinces (CRSS 2021, 25). The same source provides the following information regarding the number of fatalities for the province's different districts in 2020:

(CRSS 2021, 26)

In contrast, the IPI noted that, as of December 2021, Lahore had "experienc[ed] a significant spike in street crime over the [previous] few months," adding that due to the "growth of new private housing societies and the expansion of commercial markets/activities," the city is "vulnerable to violent crime" (IPI 14 Dec. 2021). According to the same source, there is a "rising trend" in the incidence of child abduction, vehicle theft, and robbery (IPI 14 Dec. 2021). The IPI further indicated that

organized crime is quite prevalent. Gang wars take place. The underworld "dons" of Lahore enjoy support from police officials, lawyers, journalists and politicians. They are involved in gambling, extortion, murders through hitmen and illegally occupying properties of citizens. (IPI 14 Dec. 2021)

The IPI noted that these criminals are "largely" located in "pockets" of the inner city (IPI 14 Dec. 2021). OSAC indicates that "[i]n 2020, the overall reports of criminal activity in Lahore increased by approximately 59%" (US 29 Oct. 2021). The same source further states that "[t]here were approximately 133,000 crimes of all kinds reported" in 2020 compared to "approximately" 84,000 in 2019 (US 29 Oct. 2021). According to OSAC, "[r]eports of kidnappings in Lahore increased from 2,650 in 2019 to 3,100 in 2020" and "[a]uthorities frequently do not catch or bring to justice groups that perpetrate kidnappings" (US 29 Oct. 2021). Bertelsmann Stiftung's Transformation Index (BTI) 2020, which "assesses the transformation toward democracy and a market economy as well as the quality of governance in 137 countries" and covers the period from February 2017 to January 2019, indicates that "[v]iolent non-state actors also appear to have recruitment and training centers" in Lahore and Karachi (Bertelsmann Stiftung 2020, 2, 6).

3.1 Groups, Attacks, and Targets

Sources noted that some of the main criminal groups in Lahore include groups led by Mansha Bomb and Gogi Butt (IPI 14 Dec. 2021; political analyst 30 Nov. 2021) as well as the Lashkar-e-Taiba [Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, LT] (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) (Political analyst 30 Nov. 2021). Data provided by the Institute for Conflict Management's South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), a portal that provides information and assessment on terrorism in the region of South Asia (SATP n.d.a), indicates that the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and Lashkar-e-Jabbar (LeJ) are "active terrorist/insurgent groups" in Punjab (SATP n.d.b). The political analyst stated that while the KTF has some presence in Lahore, it is not a major criminal group in the area (Political analyst 30 Nov. 2021).

The IPI noted that the "law and order situation" in Lahore has "wors[ened]" due to the "recent violent activities" of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), including two major protests in April and October 2021 during which "many" police officers were killed (IPI 14 Dec. 2021). According to International Crisis Group, TLP activists "killed seven police officers, including two in Lahore" (International Crisis Group Oct. 2021). The Nation reports that two police officers were killed "and several others" were injured in Lahore when according to a Lahore Police spokesperson, "TLP supporters attacked a police checkpoint" and "violent clashes erupted" (The Nation 23 Oct. 2021).

4. Karachi (Capital of Sindh Province)

The political analyst noted that Karachi is the "most unsafe" city in Pakistan (Political analyst 30 Nov. 2021). According to the IPI, the "law and order situation is deteriorating gradually" (IPI 14 Dec. 2021). The same source further noted that street crime is "intens[e]," gangs and drug trafficking are "[s]urg[ing]," and "[m]any cases of extortion were reported" in November 2021 (IPI 14 Dec. 2021). Sindh Police crime statistics indicate that, from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2021 there were 240 murders in the Karachi range, an increase of 50 from the same period in 2020 (Sindh 5 July 2021, 3). The same source reports that from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2021 in the Karachi range there were 19 "[c]ulpable [h]omicide[s] ([n]ot amounting to [m]urder)," 320 attempted murders, 172 assaults on police, 87 cases of rape, 41 cases of gang rape, 1,455 cases of kidnapping/abduction, and 17 cases of kidnapping for ransom (Sindh 5 July 2021, 3). A report by the National Initiative Against Organized Crime (NIOC), an independent entity in Pakistan that combats organized crime (Resilience Fund 11 June 2020), states that "Karachi has remained [the] hub of jihadist, sectarian and criminal violence" (NIOC 16 July 2020, 12). According to CRSS, 70 percent of all fatalities in Sindh in 2020 took place in Karachi, "as usual" (CRSS 2021, 26). The same source provides the following information regarding the number of fatalities in Sindh in 2020 in the three districts with the most deaths:

(CRSS 2021, 26)

The UK travel advice for Pakistan states that Karachi "has seen an improvement in the overall security situation in recent years"; however, Karachi continues to be "prone to high levels of violence, and the safety of daily activity can be unpredictable" (UK 12 Nov. 2021). According to the same source, "armed carjacking, robbery, kidnap and murder" are common, and "[d]espite a general improvement, terrorist related activity still occurs" (UK 12 Nov. 2021). The Nation states that a government committee chaired by the Chief Minister of Sindh reviewed "major heads of crime in the [Sindh] province" and "observed that terrorism, target[ed] killing[s] and kidnapping for ransom incidents had almost come to an end, but murders and extortion incidents had increased by 25 per cent and 65 per cent respectively" in 2021 compared to 2020 (The Nation 30 July 2021). The same source further notes that "no political, ethni[c] or sectarian target killing[s]" were reported, and that "[m]ost of the murder[s] were committed due to personal enmity" (The Nation 30 July 2021). According to NIOC, TTP groups "perpetrat[ed] some attacks" in Karachi (NIOC [2021], 2).

In contrast, OSAC indicates that "[t]he efforts of the Rangers [3] and the Sindh police have led to improvement in the security situation in Karachi over the past few years" (US 29 Oct. 2021). The journalist noted that since "the launching of security operations in the city" in 2015, Karachi has "become peaceful" and criminal groups have been "weakened" (Journalist 27 Nov. 2021).

4.1 Groups, Attacks, and Targets

Sources state that in June 2020 "members" (US 30 Mar. 2021, 19) or "[m]ilitants" (BBC 29 June 2020) from the BLA attacked the Pakistani stock exchange in Karachi and killed two guards and a police officer, injuring seven other individuals before being shot and killed (BBC 29 June 2020; US 30 Mar. 2021, 19). The NIOC report indicates that the attack on the Pakistani stock exchange in June 2020 "has created the intended impact in terms of raising the group's profile and highlighting its cause" (NIOC 16 July 2020, 6).

The political analyst stated that the Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA) is not a major criminal group in Karachi (Political analyst 30 Nov. 2021). The Balochistan Post, an online news website from Balochistan, reports that the SRA claimed responsibility for two attacks on the Rangers in Karachi in June 2020 (Balochistan Post 11 June 2020). According to SATP, the SRA claimed to be behind "coordinated attacks" on the Pakistan Rangers in Larkana, Karachi, and Ghotki in June 2020 (SATP [2021a]), "in which nine [security force] personnel were killed and 14 were injured" (SATP [2021a]). According to the News International, a newspaper in Pakistan, the SRA "claimed responsibility for the attacks on two Chinese nationals in Karachi" in December 2021, as well as an attack in August 2020 on the "paramilitary Rangers officials and a pro-Kashmir rally of the Jamaat-e-Islami" (The News International 4 Jan. 2021). A different Balochistan Post article states that the SRA "claimed responsibility" for attacking Chinese engineers and Pakistan Rangers in two separate incidents in Karachi in December 2020 (The Balochistan Post 16 Dec. 2020).

A different article by the News International reports that the SRA has "intensified its attacks on people of Punjabi and Pashtun ethnicities in various parts of Sindh," while continuing to target law enforcement officials "in various parts of the province" (The News International 30 Nov. 2021). The political analyst similarly noted that the SRA currently has anti-Punjabi sentiments in Sindh (Political analyst 30 Nov. 2021).

Sources report that according to police, Al-Qaeda [Al-Qaida] in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) "militants were 'planning to launch terrorist attacks targeting the Pakistan Stock Exchange, city courts and other public buildings in Karachi'" but were detained (NIOC 16 July 2020, 12) or AQIS militants "had conducted reconnaissance on certain sensitive locations for future attacks, including the Pakistan Stock Exchange, City Courts, and the Police Training Centre" before being detained by police (Pakistan Forward 28 Apr. 2020).

Data provided by SATP indicates that the Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) and the Sindhudesh Liberation Army (SLA) are "active terrorist/insurgent groups" in Sindh (SATP n.d.b). Pakistan Forward, a news website sponsored by the US Central Command (USCENTCOM) that provides news and analysis on the region with a focus on developments inhibiting terrorist activities and support in the region (Pakistan Forward n.d.), reports that the SLA "claimed responsibility" for three separate attacks on Rangers in Karachi, Ghotki, and Larkana that killed two Rangers and four civilians and injured "dozens" (Pakistan Forward 23 June 2020). The SATP indicates that the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested a "suspected" SLA member in January 2021 who was "allegedly" "involved in bomb attacks on Rangers check-posts and vehicles" in the Sacchal area of Karachi (SATP [2021b]). In contrast, the political analyst stated that the SLA is currently only a concept and not a major criminal group in Karachi (Political analyst 30 Nov. 2021). Further and corroborating information on the HuT could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

5. Hyderabad (Sindh Province)

Information on the crime and security situation in Hyderabad, including criminal groups and targets, was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

According to the UK travel advice for Pakistan, "increased criminality" has been reported in Hyderabad (UK 12 Nov. 2021). The Sindh Police statistics indicate that from 1 January 2021 to 6 June 2021 there were 124 murders in Hyderabad Range, an increase of 9 from the same period in 2020 (Sindh 5 July 2021, 4). The same source reports that during that same period there were 8 "[c]ulpable [h]omicide[s] ([n]ot amounting to [m]urder)," 245 attempted murders, 153 assaults on police, 55 assaults on "[o]thers," 37 cases of rape, 1 case of gang rape, and 231 cases of kidnapping/abduction (Sindh 5 July 2021, 4).

5.1 Groups, Attacks, and Targets

The PIPS representative indicated that the SRA and Sindhudesh Liberation Front (SLF) are "quite active" in Hyderabad; however, neither group has "adequate resources" or the "capacity to launch major attacks" (PIPS 2 Dec. 2021).

6. Ability and Motivations of Organized Crime Groups to Track and Retaliate Against Individuals

According to the journalist, criminal groups are not able to track and retaliate against individuals or targets who have relocated to other cities (Journalist 27 Nov. 2021).

In contrast, the political analyst stated that criminal groups are able to track and retaliate against individuals through their extensive networks of informants (Political analyst 30 Nov. 2021). According to the correspondent, criminal groups are able to track and retaliate "in certain cases," such as extortion (Correspondent 15 Dec. 2021). The IPI noted that Lahore-based gang members "are able to track their targets and take retaliatory action across [the] major urban centers of Punjab" as well as Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Peshawar and "other urban centers across the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province" (IPI 14 Dec. 2021). The same source indicated that Islamabad- and Rawalpindi-based gangs can track targets in those two cities as well as Peshawar and "other urban centers across the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province"; some can "even" track individuals to Karachi because there is an Afghani presence in that city (IPI 14 Dec. 2021).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Notes

[1] For information on the Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP), see Responses to Information Requests PAK106391 of January 2020 and PAK200382 of December 2020.

[2] According to the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) "is the Afghan offshoot of the Islamic State terror group" (NBC 26 Aug. 2021).

[3] According to the website of the Pakistan Rangers Sindh, the Rangers are an "elite" paramilitary force within the Ministry of Interior designed to "keep the borders of Pakistan secure from all foreign and domestic elements" (Pakistan Rangers Sindh n.d.).

References

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Agence France-Presse (AFP). 3 November 2021. "Taliban Size Up Threat from Tenacious Islamic State-Khorasan." [Accessed 23 Nov. 2021]

Al Jazeera. 21 October 2021. "Pakistani Foreign Minister Meets Taliban in Afghanistan." [Accessed 4 Nov. 2021]

Anadolu Agency (AA). 4 June 2021. Islamuddin Sajid. "2 Police Officers Killed in Islamabad 'Terror Attack'." [Accessed 8 Nov. 2021]

Australia. 20 February 2019. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). DFAT Country Information Report: Pakistan. [Accessed 4 Nov. 2021]

The Balochistan Post. 16 December 2020. "SRA Claims Responsibility for Attacks on Rangers and Chinese Engineers in Karachi." [Accessed 30 Nov. 2021]

The Balochistan Post. 11 June 2020. "Pakistan Rangers Attacked Twice in Karachi, SRA Claims the Responsibility." [Accessed 30 Nov. 2021]

Bertelsmann Stiftung. 2020. "Pakistan Country Report." Bertelsmann Stiftung's Transformation Index (BTI) 2020. [Accessed 8 Nov. 2021]

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 29 June 2020. "Pakistan Attack: Deadly Raid on Stock Exchange in Karachi." [Accessed 8 Nov. 2021]

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Correspondent, Pakistan. 15 December 2021. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

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Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project; Asian Human Rights Commission; assistant professor at an American university who researches the politics of religion and ethnicity in developing democracies; associate professor at an American university who researches security issues in South Asia; associate professor at an American university who researches terrorism and counterterrorism in South Asia; Australian Strategic Policy Institute – Counter-Terrorism Policy Centre; author who focuses on Islamic militants in Pakistan; Belgium – Cedoca; Brookings Institution; Center for Research and Security Studies; columnist at a Pakistani newspaper who focuses on Afghanistan and Pakistan; Denmark – Danish Immigration Service; FATA Research Centre; former secretary of the Home and Tribal Affairs Department; freelance journalist based in Lahore; Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime; Human Rights Commission of Pakistan; Institute for Conflict Management – South Asia Terrorism Portal; International Crisis Group; Jinnah Institute; journalist for a Pakistani newspaper; journalist for a Pakistani newspaper who is also a senior police manager and supervisor; journalist who reports on human and civil rights and security issues in Pakistan; lecturer at an American university who researches international relations of South Asia and Al-Qaeda; Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies; PhD candidate at an American university who researches security studies, emerging threats, counterterrorism, and counterinsurgency in Pakistan; professor at an American university who researches security and international politics in South Asia; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; retired brigadier of the Pakistan Army; US – consulate in Karachi, consulate in Lahore, embassy in Islamabad; US Institute of Peace; Wilson Center.

Internet sites, including: 24 News HD; Amnesty International; Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project; ARY News; Asia Times; Asian News International; Associated Press of Pakistan; Asylos; Asylum Research Centre; Belgium – Commissariat général aux réfugiés et aux apatrides; Brookings Institution; Canada – Public Safety Canada; CBC; Center for Strategic and International Studies; Council on Foreign Relations; Daily Times; Deutsche Welle; The Diplomat; ecoi.net; EU – European Asylum Support Office; The Express Tribune; FATA Research Centre; Foreign Policy; France – Office français de protection des réfugiés et apatrides; Freedom House; The Friday Times; Geo News; Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime; Human Rights Commission of Pakistan; Human Rights Watch; Independent News Coverage Pakistan; India Today; Indian Defense Review; Institute for War & Peace Reporting; INTERPOL; Islamabad Capital Territory Administration – Islamabad Capital Police; Islamabad Policy Institute; Minority Rights Group International; Modern Diplomacy; National Herald Tribune; Netherlands – Ministry of Foreign Affairs; The New Humanitarian; The New Indian Express; Norway – Landinfo; Observer Research Foundation; Organisation suisse d'aide aux réfugiés; Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe; Pakistan – Ministry of Interior, National Counter Terrorism Authority, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics; Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies; Pakistan News.Net; Pakistan Observer; Pakistan Strategic Forum; Radio Free Asia; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; Reporters sans frontières; Reuters; Royal United Services Institute; Transparency International; TRT World; UN – Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Refworld, Security Council, UNDP, UN Office on Drugs and Crime, UN Women; US Institute of Peace; US – Library of Congress; The Washington Post; Wilson Center.