Former army chief General (retd) Raheel Sharif emphasized on intelligence sharing on global level to combat terrorism.
Addressing a session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) titled ‘Terrorism in the digital age’, he said: “Terrorism is a global issue and the global community will have to get united if it wants to defeat terrorism.”
During the panel discussion on “Terrorism in the Digital Age”, Sharif said that intelligence sharing is key to success against terrorism.
“Intelligence sharing is key to success against terrorism. That’s very very important. If there is intelligence shared, actionable intelligence, and countries work and act on it, I think they can bring a difference.”
“In Pakistan, it was a whole of nation approach… which paid. Everybody came together. At an international level also, there is a requirement to have synergy, and in fact a platform. The UN Resolution 1373 says everybody has a responsibility,” he added.
To a question about effective use of digital platform by terrorists, Sharif said it gives them huge advantage. “I personally feel that these terrorists have the ability to mutate, morph and they can do it very quickly.”
“And obviously this platform of digital age is available whether it is social media or any other platform they use it very very effectively,” he added.
Speaking about the modern mode to speed up terrorism globally, the former army chief said: “recruitment is one thing which is done on that (social media) and I think the financier, abettors, facilitator and the sympathisers all of them are involved in this.”
