Re-emerging threat of terrorism

There has been a spike in terrorism in the country of late. As of July 22, as many as 410 incidents of terrorism have been reported this year – as against 424 in 2021 and 630 in 2022. This clearly shows a re-emergence of terrorism in the country.

Once again, there has been a war-like situation and shadowy figures with malignant intent are on the rampage. The vulnerabilities of the state have led to the internal security situation to worsen. The country has been facing deep multifaceted conflictual issues – like political turmoil, economic failure, climate change and fragile democracy. With the new wave of terrorism, fear has begun to grip the general public – like a decade back when people were afraid to leave their homes, travel in public transport, etc.

Security agencies in Pakistan are on a high alert in the wake of the recent attacks in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. In November 2022, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended the ceasefire, alleging that Pakistan Army and intelligence agencies continued to launch attacks. The TTP had warned that attacks would resume, telling their members to start preparations. The warning had come in November last year, and the TTP is now going full gear. Taking full advantage of the political instability in the country, the TTP has not just launched full-scale targeted attacks but has been on a recruitment spree too. The TTP’s utter disregard for human life has put the state on an alert – especially with the elections just round the corner.

The threat of TTP has severely increased with their acquisition of the US weapons after the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan in August 2021. The leftover weapons have made their way into Pakistan via the Afghan black market. The advanced weapons in the hands of TTP and other terror outfits are indeed a cause for concern. In a report to the US Congress, Pentagon stated that military equipment worth $7.2 billion was left behind. The sophisticated armoury includes ammunitions, M4s, M16S, night-vision goggles and communication gear. This empowers the TTP to carry out much more sophisticated operations against the military personnel and civilians alike. It was the failure of the US troops (which were unable to dispose of the weapons before their withdrawal) as well as of the Taliban government (which failed to prevent the weapons from making it to the Afghan black market and onwards into Pakistan).

TTP is not the only threat facing Pakistan. In recent years, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has grown into a serious menace, targeting military posts and checkpoints, besides CPEC workers causing breaks in the work on the multi-billion dollars project. BLA follows an ethno-nationalistic agenda attempting to sow instability in the province. The terror outfit is systematically coordinated and tries to exploit the vulnerabilities of the state by launching attacks on economic targets. Poor governance in Balochistan province, socioeconomic injustices and lack of interest on the part of the government have helped BLA breed insurgency. Growing frustration among the youth in the region has forced them into recruitment into the terror outfit as they believe it is the only way for them to fight “injustice”.

Both the civil and military authorities are combating the re-emerging threat of terrorism with full force – so as to nip this evil in the bud for good. In a meeting on July 24 between US Centcom Chief General Michael Erik Kurilla and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, regional security situation came under discussion with focus on the TTP.

Given the worsening internal security situation in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, in particular, as well as approaching general elections in the country, there is need for a concerted civil-military policy to deal with the growing threat of terrorism.

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