Peace in the picturesque valley of Swat in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province got a jolt as a blast ripped through its Bara Bandai area. Members of local ‘peace committees’ were targeted, who were at the vanguard to deal with eventualities and exigencies. These supervision bodies were formed in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of the district back in 2007. Media reports say that a committee member and his police guards were among the five people who came under a remote-controlled bomb attack on Tuesday. This incident has raised alarms as for the last few weeks Swat has been quite uneasy. An impugned militia is seen roaming around in its length and breath. As a backlash of unrest in Afghanistan, it seems disgruntled elements are returning home, and trying to influence ground realities.
The fact that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack makes it horrendous. Pakistan had heaved a sigh of relief from the terror fissure, and this new simmering unrest is surely a point of concern. It drives synergies to focus on the factors that are leading to social revulsion, and as to how come militants are back in business. It entails a detailed mopping of the area, and reconnecting the dots as to where we had blinked. Peace in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province had restored the confidence of tourists, and it was on the side of prosperity and development. This upheaval at a time when the landscape is in distress owing to monsoon floods simply underscores the barbaric agenda at work to shatter tranquility.
Pakistan is passing through a difficult phase, as the security profile in the region is in turmoil. The western border is tense and non-state actors in Afghanistan are out to grab a slice in power. The Taliban’s grip is being challenged, and a number of attacks have unnerved the embattled administration. Its ripples are now being felt in former tribal belts as well as in settled areas of Pakistan. This evolving situation calls for a guarded approach while dealing with not only the security mosaic, but also the welfare of the people as nefarious motives thrive on a discriminated mindset. While the Swat valley is logistically inaccessible due to the recent floods and landslides, immense caution is needed in keeping an eye on unscrupulous elements, and to net them down. Bara Bandai’s bang must act as an eye-opener, before it gets too late.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 15th, 2022.
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