Security to dominate apex committee moot

Military, govt moot to focus on counterterror efforts

ISLAMABAD:

The Apex Committee of the National Action Plan (NAP) is likely to take place on Tuesday (today) to take stock of the country's security situation in the wake of a renewed wave of terrorism in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, it emerged on Monday.

The apex committee meeting has been convened to review the progress of the NAP on anti-terrorism. It will bring together the top civil and military leadership, including Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, the top spymaster, intelligence chiefs, all provincial chief ministers, and key federal ministers.

These senior officials will discuss the prevailing law and order situation and how coordination, as well as intelligence-sharing mechanisms, can be enhanced among the federal and provincial authorities. Amid a deteriorating security situation, the officials will focus on the multifaceted nationwide counterterrorism campaign Operation Azm-e-Istehkam.

Surprising as it may seem, the meeting is being held just ahead of PTI's planned protest in Islamabad starting on November 24, Crucially, however, it is also hot on the heels of the Quetta Railways Station suicide blast which killed 25 people and left over 50 people injured on November 9.

PTI's incarcerated founder Imran Khan has called on his supporters to march to Islamabad on November 24 with reports suggesting that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gnadapur is likely to discuss issues, including PTI's planned rally and ongoing tensions with powerful stakeholders. The reason is that demonstrations and law and order are interlinked.

Reportedly, the apex committee meeting was scheduled for Monday, but it was postponed as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was down with a throat infection.

A couple of officials familiar with the developments said that the meeting is likely to take place on Tuesday now if the PM feels better. They added his health was improving by Monday evening and he took a meeting on economic issues.

Pakistan is witnessing a sharp rise in militant violence, Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) report stated. It pointed out that 757 deaths, including those of civilians and security officials, were reported in the first eight months of 2024.

Militant activity is concentrated in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where the TTP and BLA pose significant threats. Islamabad has accused the TTP of cross-border attacks from Afghanistan, a claim denied by Kabul, while the BLA targets China-led projects in Balochistan

Another report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) said that the third quarter of 2024 (July-September) saw a 90% surge in violence compared to previous periods. During this time, a total of 722 people were killed, including civilians, security personnel, and insurgents, while 615 others were injured in 328 incidents of violence.

A sharp increase in terrorist violence has been reported in K-P and Balochistan following the Afghan Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. The CRSS report said that nearly 97% of the fatalities occurred in K-P and Balochistan, marking the highest percentage of violence in the past decade.

Over 92% of the incidents were concentrated in these two provinces, it said, which have become hotspots for terror attacks and security operations. However, the surge in violence is not confined to the third quarter.