Terrorism is rising, but people do not seem to care: report
Report says 4,678 lives became target of terrorism in Pakistan in the first 10 months of 2010.
The scourge of terrorism consumed 4,678 lives in Pakistan in the first 10 months of 2010. This was stated in a study “Trail of Tragedy: A Chronology of Violence in Pakistan 2010”, carried out by Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO), a rights-based civil society organisation.
The report chronologically lists and elaborates on incidents of terrorism that took place during the first 11 months of 2010.
The incidents include suicide attacks, bomb blasts, ambushes, target killings, casualties caused during military operations, casualties in attacks on security forces and drone attacks in the tribal areas.
The death toll in bombings is estimated to be 1,801.
Compared to the previous year, the frequency of drone attack increased, reportedly killing 544 insurgents.
Last year, 2,060 insurgents were reportedly killed in military operations.
A total of 273 people were reported dead in 2010 in different incidents of target killing, which affected not only the tribal areas and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa but also the urban centres of Pakistan. The number of deaths was up from 2009.
The report states, “Even though the sense of insecurity and fear has generally increased, there does not seem to be a collective concern among the general public about the curse of terrorism.”
The report highlights that schools continue to be targeted by terrorists and recently militants have started targeting symbols of Sufism – the shrines of Sufi saints, representing tolerance, peace and co-existence.
Commenting on the report SPO Chief Executive Naseer Memon said, “The destruction to the symbolic heritage of our country, especially symbols of peace, does not bode well for us. Destroying symbols of peace is an attempt by obscurantist forces to pave the way for their violent agenda.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 22nd, 2011.
The report chronologically lists and elaborates on incidents of terrorism that took place during the first 11 months of 2010.
The incidents include suicide attacks, bomb blasts, ambushes, target killings, casualties caused during military operations, casualties in attacks on security forces and drone attacks in the tribal areas.
The death toll in bombings is estimated to be 1,801.
Compared to the previous year, the frequency of drone attack increased, reportedly killing 544 insurgents.
Last year, 2,060 insurgents were reportedly killed in military operations.
A total of 273 people were reported dead in 2010 in different incidents of target killing, which affected not only the tribal areas and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa but also the urban centres of Pakistan. The number of deaths was up from 2009.
The report states, “Even though the sense of insecurity and fear has generally increased, there does not seem to be a collective concern among the general public about the curse of terrorism.”
The report highlights that schools continue to be targeted by terrorists and recently militants have started targeting symbols of Sufism – the shrines of Sufi saints, representing tolerance, peace and co-existence.
Commenting on the report SPO Chief Executive Naseer Memon said, “The destruction to the symbolic heritage of our country, especially symbols of peace, does not bode well for us. Destroying symbols of peace is an attempt by obscurantist forces to pave the way for their violent agenda.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 22nd, 2011.