A relatively small
terrorist outfit, Nadeem Commando (NC), comprises largely of Mohajirs
(Muslims who migrated to Pakistan in 1947 from areas in India). It
professes the ideology of the Mohajir Quami Movement (MQM) and fervently
advocates the rights of Mohajirs.
The origins of the outfit
are not well documented but it is reported to have become active in the
early 1990's. NC is alleged to have close links with the Muttahida Quami
Movement-Altaf (MQM-A).Their
main areas of operation are Karachi and Hyderabad, the chief
concentrations of Mohajir community in Pakistan.
The outfit's supply lines
and funds have been traced to expatriate Mohajirs, particularly those
based in London. The city is also the main base for the MQM-A with its
leader Altaf Hussain living in exile there. NC's terror tactics are based
on random shooting of carefully selected targets and staging violent
incidents during political strikes called by MQM-A in Karachi and
Hyderabad.
Pakistani authorities have
alleged that the NC was responsible for the assassination of two US
diplomats in Karachi in April 1995 is among the outfit's most publicised
terrorist strikes. Pakistani officials have also reported that most of the
outfit's cadres were either killed or arrested in Karachi during the
Pakistan government's counter-terrorist operation in May 1996, called
'Operation Clean Up' .
Even though their current
status is not clear, Nadeem Commando is alleged to provide its cadres and
material during periodic strikes called by MQM-A in Karachi and Hyderabad.
The disruption that NC cadres are alleged to be causing in Karachi during
the strikes called by MQM-A have been a source of serious concern to the
Pakistani government since Karachi is also the commercial capital of
Pakistan.