What is Brigade 313? Senator admits Pakistan supported terrorist organisations, Sherry Rehman says about India...

After Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the ruling coalition's senior leader Sherry Rehman has admitted that Islamabad has supported terrorist organisations in the past. Talking to Yalda Hakim of British TV channel Sky News, the senator of the Pakistan People's Party claimed that Pakistan is a changed country and it is no longer doing it. She said, "You keep on talking about the past… because it was…" She added, “We are fighting terrorism… Pakistan is a changed country now."

Sherry Rehman admits Pakistan's role

Talking about Pakistan's coming out of the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force, the senator claimed that it happened only after Islamabad had taken action against the terrorists. When pointed out that the actions were taken years after the terrorists' presence in the country, Sherry Rehman said, "You’re citing a long history of engaging with terrorism one way or the other… either fighting it or otherwise." It was the implicit admission of the fact. 

(Sherry Rehman, Senator, Pakistan People's Party)

What is Brigade 313?

However, she rejected the presence of Brigade 313 and said that this narrative is aligned with India. Brigade 313 is an umbrella organisation of Pakistan-based terrorist outfits including  Jaish-e-Mohammad, the Taliban, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and others. It was named after Prophet Muhammad's army of 313 men at the Battle of Badr, an early Muslim military victory against the Quraysh which took place on March 13, 624. The brigade has also been accused of carrying out terrorist attacks on Indian interests in Afghanistan.

The Badri 313 Battalion emerged in the last stage of the Taliban insurgency. It hit the headlines in 2017 when its fighters attacked  British security company G4S's Kabul compound in November 2018. After the 2021 Fall of Kabul, the Taliban reported that the Badri 313 Battalion was securing the Arg (the Afghani Presidential Palace) and other important sites in the city.  

Brigade 313 is equipped with camouflage uniforms, combat helmets, body armor, night-vision goggles, M4 carbines, sidearms and the US-made Humvees.