Police’s role in counterterror operations

LAHORE: In the backdrop of the recent Peshawar killings, the government is yet again crafting a national policy on terrorism which, for years, has been lying on the back burner for want of implementation. The centre of gravity of the policy shall be controlled and contributed by the Pakistan Army, which has the skills and the wherewithal to take the fight to the very heartland of terror and to its ultimate end. The thinking of the armed forces command is, therefore, critical in shaping and reshaping the ongoing counterterror operation against militant groups in North Waziristan. The spectrum of such operations, though concentrates on Fata in recent months, it has to be expanded throughout the country in all probability. The important questions are how to strategise the counterterrorism process and connect it effectively with tactical actions in settled areas of Pakistan.

The contours of an urban counterterror strategy must include special police units if any worthwhile response is to be maintained against terror networks operating across the country. A comprehensive action plan involving collection of information and its collation for immediate field operations should appear as a top priority. The police must utilise effectively their information-gathering mechanism to synthesise the available information. An extensive apparatus for information-sharing needs to be constructed for field actions. Special police forces and army elite units should then be tasked to carry out sting operations against potential sites, groups or individuals involved in terrorism. Lastly, persons arrested and evidence collected must be carefully calibrated and presented in anti-terrorism courts for speedy trials.

Faisal Ali Raja

Assistant Inspector General of Police

Central Police Office, Lahore

Published in The Express Tribune, January 1^st, 2015.

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