A brave act

It was a combination of valour and restraint. The security forces have displayed both courage and tact in an anti-terrorist operation in Hayatbad, Peshawar. They have achieved a notable success by eliminating five terrorists. The intelligence-based operation was conducted jointly by the Special Services Group of the Army and the police. The fact that it took the security forces 17 long hours points to both the kind of strength that the militants possess and the restraint that the security forces exercised for the sake of lives of those living in the surroundings of the building where the terrorists had taken up residence. The operation started on Monday and concluded on Tuesday morning. A policeman named Qamar Alam was martyred on Monday night. Two other personnel of the security forces were injured in the operation. This operation dragged on mainly due to consideration for the safety of civilians. The fact that the terrorists lived in an affluent locality points to two things. Either they themselves were rich, or they had rich patrons who provided them with handsome funding. Their area of residence assumes importance and needs to be thoroughly investigated to establish whether it is mere assumption or reality.

Fifty kgs of expolsive material was installed in a motorcycle and parts of the building. The building was demolished soon after the conclusion of the operation. People living around the building were evacuated with the help of security and rescue personnel. Two injured women were also shifted to the Hayatabad Medical Complex.

Peshawar Corps Commander Lt Gen Shaheen Mazhar Mahmood visited the site of the operation on Tuesday morning. He ordered security officials to adopt all precautions to ensure the safety of the area’s affected residents.


Here is a lesson for our trigger-happy police forces that sometimes lack restraint in their actions.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2019.