Security report 2010: Terrorism remains a challenge for Pakistan

While the number of attacks fell in 2010, the number of civilian deaths rose.


Umer Nangiana January 17, 2011

ISLAMABAD:


Terror-infested Pakistan had no remarkable reprieve from violence in the last 12 months which recorded an 11 per cent decrease in the number of violent attacks compared to 2009, claimed Pakistan Security Report 2010, compiled by a local think tank, Pak Institute for Peace Studies (Pips).

While the country witnessed a decrease in the number of suicide bombings, militant attacks and sectarian violence, there was an increase in the number of civilian deaths, with three per cent more civilians killed in these attacks compared to 2009.

A total of 2,113 militant, insurgent and sectarian-related terrorist attacks were reported from across the country, killing 2,913 people and injuring 5,824. The numbers are less than those reported in 2009.

An effective military campaign against militants in the tribal areas, increased surveillance by the intelligence agencies and killing of key terrorists in US drone strikes in Fata were among the main factors behind the decrease, the report stated.

Balochistan, with 737 attacks, was the worst affected region of the country followed by Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with 720 and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) with 459 attacks reported in 2010. ‘Despite the progress on the security front, sustainable peace has not been achieved in K-P and Fata due to the less-than-impressive performance of a weak political administration which is beset by chronic challenges of poor governance and failure to ensure political participation of the people,’ the Pips report said.

Meanwhile, ‘violent incidents increased in the provinces of Sindh, Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan in 2010 compared to the previous year, indicating growing urban terrorism in Pakistan’ said Amir Rana, Director Pips.

The number of violent incidents in Karachi spiked by 288 per cent, with 93 attacks recorded in 2010. The report said all four provincial capitals were amongst the cities worst affected by terrorist attacks in 2010. Lahore suffered 44, Peshawar 111 and Quetta 189 attacks while Islamabad witnessed six attacks.

Over 70 percent attacks in Punjab were concentrated in Lahore while sectarian and terrorist attacks increased by 34 per cent in the province.

‘(The government’s) failure to address the growing ethno-political and sectarian intolerance and the influence of militants in Karachi as well as the continuing alienation and radicalisation of young and poor population in Southern Punjab has compounded the problem’ said the Pips report.

In the absence of a comprehensive long-term strategy, the government continues to rely almost exclusively on military solution to militancy in Fata. ‘The military is mainly relying on ‘hit, hold, build and clear’ strategy … holding and rebuilding parts of this strategy cannot succeed without public support and partnership’ the report added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17th, 2011.

COMMENTS (18)

Anoop | 13 years ago | Reply @Sana, In a democracy it is by default. Considering with all out problems which are in huge proportions, we are growing at nearly 10%, while Pakistan is growing at 1/4th of that. Pretty sure we are on the right path and you guys are not. I dont care what happens to Pakistan, but since you guys have the nukes and other dangerous weapons, I have to care. Terrorism is now a lesser problem compared to the fact that whole state structure might collapse or get radicalized in Pakistan.
Sana | 13 years ago | Reply @Anoop You have many problems inside India. How about concentrating and commentating on them?
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