Current reference to the Imamia Students Organization's (ISO) involvement in, or blame for, violent activities could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

Reportedly, the ISO has publicly condemned violence (Business Recorder 3 Oct. 1999), including terrorism and terrorists (Dawn 15 Apr. 2000; Business Recorder 14 Apr. 2000). According to a 15 April 2000 article, ISO, along with Tehrik-i-Jafria Pakistan (TJP), demanded that the government ban militant organizations and arrest members of such groups in order to reduce terrorist activities (Dawn). ISO activists at a demonstration against a shooting in Malwani, Attock in which some 14 or 15 persons were killed, carried banners with anti-terrorism slogans (ibid. Business Recorder 14 Apr. 2000).

As well, several articles reported that ISO demonstrations, including one condemning India's actions in Kashmir (Business Recorder 11 Oct. 1999), had ended peacefully (ibid. 3 Oct. 1999; Dawn 10 Feb. 2001; ibid. 4 May 2000).

A recent article reported that ISO students would give their lives for the sake of the Muslim Ummah and Pakistan, but that they would not let American interests be served in Pakistan (The Nation 4 Oct. 2001). The recently elected central President of ISO, Farhan Haider Zaidi, was quoted as stating "We shall not hesitate even to sacrifice our lives like we did in the past to defend the Islamic and national interests of Pakistan, our motherland" (ibid.).

As well, an 18 May 2001 article in The Daily Excelsior, self-described on the newspapers Website as the "largest circulated daily of Jammu Kashmir," India, reported that ISO, referred to as a militant group, had established training camps in Lahore to further their activities.

For more information on the ISO please refer to PAK34466.E of 2 June 2000, PAK37757.E of 7 November 2001, and the July 1999 Research Directorate Issue Paper Pakistan: Sectarian Violence.

Reference to the Imamia Organization and its relation to ISO could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

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 to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Business Recorder [Karachi]. 14 April 2000. "Imamia Students Protest Firing on Majlis." (NEXIS)

_____. 11 October 1999. "Imamia Students Body Holds Kashmir Rally." http://www.brecorder.com/story/S00CC/SCJ11201.htm [Accessed 7 Nov. 2001]

_____. 3 October 1999. "Imamia Students Organisation Takes out Protest Rally." (NEXIS)

Dawn [Karachi]. 12 February 2001. "TJP, SSP Observe Protest Day."

_____. 18 Dec. 2000. "Al Quds Day Rallies on Friday." http://www.dawn.com/2000/12/18/nat12.htm [Accessed 2 Nov. 2001]

_____. 4 May 2000. "Rallies in Toba After Lawyer's Murder."

_____. 15 April 2000. "Multan: Man Dies as Tree Falls on Taazia Procession." http://www.dawn.com/2000/04/15/local15.htm [Accessed 7 Nov. 2001]

The Daily Excelsior [Janipura]. 18 May 2001. B.L. Kak. "Delhi Alerts VDCs, SPOs in J&K: Pak Extremist Groups to Intensify Anti-India Offensive." http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/01may18/news.htm [Accessed 7 Nov. 2001]

The Pakistan Newswire. 5 August 2001. "Allama Arif Hussaini Anniversary Observed." (NEXIS)

The Nation Online. 4 October 2001. "PPP Workers Focus of Govt Victimisation Policy." http://nation.com.pk/daily/041001/national/k3.htm [Accessed 7 Nov. 2001]

Extremist Groups

IRB databases

Jane's Geopolitical Library, CD-ROM

Jane's Intelligence Review

LEXIS/NEXIS

The State of Human Rights in Pakistan 2000, CD-ROM

Oral source:

One academic source consulted had no information

Unsuccessful attempt to contact one academic source

Internet sites, including:

Amnesty International

BBC

CNN

Dawn

Frontier Post

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

Human Rights Watch

International Relations and Security Network

News International

Pakistan Daily

Pakistan News Service

South Asia Terrorism Portal

UN News

World News Connection