Mysterious blast

A suspicious blast at a CTD premises in Swat has led to security chaos. Reports say the CTD offices at Kabal area in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa caved in as a huge explosion was heard. But the conclusions were conflicting in essence. Initial drawings were that it was a terrorist attack in the restive scenic mountains, which has been a theatre of untoward incidents since the return of unscrupulous elements from Afghanistan. But a later rejoinder from the police itself said it might be an accident as the site was home to large-scale explosives. The tragic incident, nonetheless, on Monday claimed at least 12 lives and injured more than 50, most of them police personnel. The three-storey building now in debris calls for a thorough probe to pinpoint the severe security lapse. While none have claimed responsibility for the attack, it comes as a consolation for the beleaguered interim provincial administration to up the vigil as it gears up for electioneering activity.

This incident is the second in a series to come on police installations within weeks. A similar attack on Karachi Police headquarters in February led to a severe gunfire with terrorists, who managed to sneak inside and hold the force in tandem for almost a day. Likewise, another daredevil attack earlier in K-P led to seizing of a prison by TTP gunmen and a subsequent shootout. All these incidents hint at security lapse, and the bitter fact that our security forces have at times blinked in discharging their duties. In the case of Monday’s blast, if it occurred due to a short circuit, then it is tantamount to unprofessionalism. Lessons are in need of being drawn to beef up the vigil, and set in concrete and standardised parameters to ensure safety of ammunition stockpiles and law-enforcement personnel. We have witnessed enough of terrorism, and most of it has drawn on us due to lapses and politics of connivance. This underscores the necessity of revisiting the National Action Plan and buoying our potential to nip the terror in the bid. No point in being apologetic at the cost of precious lives.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 26^th, 2023.

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