K-P witnesses 70% drop in terrorist activities: Central Police Office

2009 saw terrorist activities peak to record levels; this settled in 2016, the most peaceful year in K-P

PESHAWAR: According to the Central Police Office (CPO), there has been a 70 per cent drop in terrorist activities across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). In a handout issued on Saturday, the CPO reports that this year only 90 incidents were reported thus far as compared to 274 recorded last year.

K-P, in the year 2009, saw terrorist activities peak to record levels; this only settled in 2016, dubbed the most peaceful year in the province. Since 2009, the province has also seen a significant drop in target killings and kidnappings for ransom.



In the year 2009, a record 178 kidnapping cases were reported across K-P in which wealthy individuals were abducted for ransom, dropping to 16 cases in the year 2016 and six cases in the first seven months of the current year.

This year, 21 people have been killed in target-killing incidents as compared to 72 such cases last year and 643 similar incidents in the year 2013 in the province. Police, army and pro-government tribal elders were prime targets at the time.

Twenty-seventeen has also witness a considerable drop in the number of extortion cases in the province with 16 cases registered this year against 44 last year and 344 cases in the year 2014. It is suspected, however, that the actual number is much higher owing to a reluctance in reporting the case to the police for fear of their own safety.

Talking to The Express Tribune, a police officer said there was a considerable drop in the mentioned cases but it was still a threat and extra vigilance on part of the police, as well as other law enforcement agencies, was required.