Security scare

Security situation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan is precarious. A spike in attacks on frequent intervals has left everyone guessing. This dilapidated scenario is getting more worrisome as general elections are near, and coupled with this is the influx of extra-territorial factors that are yet to be tamed at home and on the western frontiers. The attack on a police van in Bajaur the other day has left seven dead, and led to the suspension of the vaccination programme in the province. It is more horrendous that this attack too was claimed by TTP, simply bringing to the fore the unresolved puzzle of terrorism.

Bajaur’s ambush must be read in line with one of the deadliest attacks on the armed forces last month in Dera Ismail Khan’s Daraban area, in which 23 soldiers embraced martyrdom. Likewise, sporadic casualties across Balochistan and in the former tribal areas, especially Waziristan, and that too against a particular ethnic community indicates a nefarious plot. The intention, obviously, is to bleed the nation and create misunderstanding among provinces. The home-grown and foreign terror fissures are in it, and this invites some deep introspection.

Pakistan’s unaddressed concerns with Afghanistan matter a lot in stemming terror activities. It is a pity that Kabul has not been able to come up with a proper rejoinder to Islamabad’s fears of terrorists operating with impunity across the divide. Apart from sharing diplomatic briefs, Pakistan has also played the smart card of sending a political delegation to Kabul to iron out the odds. The visit of the delegation, led by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman, is meant to simply illustrate the fact that Pakistan is sincere in a thaw with Kabul provided the latter acts in exterminating non-state actors.

It is heart-wrenching that there were more than 1,500 violence-related fatalities from 789 terror attacks and counter-terror operations during the last year. A think tank, CRSS, ranks it as a record six-year high. Restoring the shaken confidence of the people and going out against terror networks is a must.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2024.

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