The involvement of a Pakistani- origin UK public Malik Faisal Akram in the siege at a temple in the US state of Texas shows the deep-seated religious radicalisation within Pakistan and UK among Muslimcommunity.However, the Pakistan government has been necessary in radicalising their own towardspan-Islamic jihadi causes since President Zia-ul-Haq days, If Akram was the forefront.
The siege at the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville was led by Akram, who demanded the release of condemned Pakistani neuroscientist Afia Siddiqui, suspected of ties with Al Qaeda and presently serving an 86- time judgment in the Fort Worth captivity after being condemned in 2010 of trying to kill US military officers while in guardianship in Afghanistan In the history, the Pakistani government too has tried to free‘Lady al Qaeda’-as she’s known in the counterterrorism circles. A many times agone, when Barack Obama was the President of the United States, the Pakistan officers had transferred a offer to release the woman in exchange of ArmySgt. Bowe Bergdahl.
In 2018, the Pakistani Senate unanimously passed a resolution to take up the matter of Siddiqui’s release with the US, pertaining to her as the “ son of the nation” Imran Khan, who’s now the Prime Minister of Pakistan, contended with other Islamist political parties and jihadist groups to forefront the crusade to free Siddiqui.
The fiat of Khan- led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) grouped Siddiqui among the Overseas Pakistanis and said their “ nationalistic spirit” is valued by the party Overseas Pakistanis are one of our biggest means, who have constantly been denied access to their citizens’ rights and to the occasion to contribute to Pakistan’s frugality due to hamstrung and deficient processes along with poor quality structure and services by former governments. We’ll insure voting rights for overseas Pakistanis,” the PTI fiat said.
“ We’ll give consular and legal services to all Pakistanis jugged abroad. We make stylish sweats to bring captures likeDr. Afia Siddiqui and others back to Pakistan,” it further said Indeed the Taliban, which now rules Afghanistan, had shown their keen interest in Siddiqui’s release in exchange of Warren Weinstein, an American aid worker who was abducted by al Qaeda in Pakistan in 2011. Weinstein was killed in a US drone strike after being interned for four times.
Siddiqui comes from a well- educated Pakistan family with strong religious persuasions. She graduated from the prestigious Massachusetts Information of Technology (MIT), and also entered a doctorate degree in neurology from Brandeis University According to US intelligence officers, she appeared to be radicalised after the9/11 attacks. She was connected to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged architect of the9/11 attacks and believed to be acting as Al Qaeda’s courier to grease the shipping process of security and munitions for a planned attack.
US officers say she faded in 2003 andre-appeared in 2008 in Afghanistan with the detailed information about American targets The family of 44- time-old Malik Faisal Akram, the rearmost to demand Siddiqui’s release, belongs to Jhelum quarter in Punjab and emigrated to the UK nearly 50 times agone. Malik was a member of Tabligh Jamaat and had travelled abroad before on work related to it, according to intelligence officers. He was married to a Gujrati Muslim lady and has five sons and a son.
His father is a given member of Muslim community in London and the family has political links through Malik Irfan, a Councillor linked to Labor Party, the officers further said Before carrying out the attack on the temple in Texas, he posted a Facebook Live videotape where Akram talked about his plans US President Joe Biden called the hostage- taking an” act of terror”, with the UK condemning the attack soon after.
