Pak-sponsored terror poses heavy economic burden apart from claiming human lives

NEW DELHI: Cross-border terrorism sponsored by Pakistan, apart from the loss of precious human lives, is posing a heavy economic burden on India due to the huge expenditure on border security and the damage to the tourism industry, which Islamabad has been targeting.

The economic burden is substantial. Border security is capital-intensive. New Delhi's Border Infrastructure and Management (BIM) umbrella scheme set aside Rs 13,020 crore (2021–26) for fencing, flood lighting, roads, and technology along vulnerable frontiers, according to an article by Ankit Kumar published in Newswire.

Beyond the fence, terror shocks depress tourism and services, raise insurance premia, and force sustained deployment of central armed police and military units, with long-term opportunity costs for development spending, the article pointed out.

Pakistan's backing of terror has not only been highlighted by India, but the UN’s listing files for LeT and for Masood Azhar, successive US assessments, and court cases abroad (including recent extradition actions connected to 26/11) point to networks nurtured by sanctuary and facilitation on Pakistani soil, the article stated.

More recently, Pakistan's official links with proscribed terror groups were exposed when top Pakistan Army officers and senior civilian officials were seen openly paying respects at the grave of a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist eliminated in Operation Sindoor.

On Pakistan's Independence Day on August 14, General Officer Commanding (GOC) Lahore Division Major General Rao Imran Sartaj, Federal Minister Malik Rashid Ahmed Khan, visited the grave of Mudasir Ahmed in Muridke, Lahore. Mudasir, a high-value LeT operative, was linked to the 1999 IC-814 hijacking and the 2019 Pulwama terror attack. He was among those killed when Indian forces targeted Markaz Taiba - the LeT headquarters. (IANS)

Also Read: US influence casts shadow over Pakistan-China ties amid regional shifts

Also Watch: