As soon as the current government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa assumed power, it promised to improve the law-and-order situation in the province by eliminating the threat of terrorism and promoting economic activities as their first priority. However, in spite of the tall claims, terrorism continued to remain a menacing challenge for the law enforcement agencies, who failed to protect the peace of the land.
According to data obtained from the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) for 2024, the majority of terrorist attacks were carried out in the southern districts of the province including Dera Ismail Khan, Lucky Marwat, Bannu, Tank, Kohat, North Waziristan, South Waziristan, Khyber, Bajaur and Peshawar. A 20.7 per cent increase was observed in cases of terrorism, which rose from 530 incidents in 2023 to a total of 640 incidents this year, with the highest number, around 300, reported from Dera Ismail Khan, the hometown of the Chief Minister.
Sources of The Express Tribune from within the CTD K-P revealed that the police had nearly abandoned the practice of patrolling the police stations after sunset in the southern districts, where terrorist activities against both civilians and armed personnel were on the rise. Out of all the incidents, 355 incidents involved firing and target killing by terrorists, 113 involved the use of improvised explosive devices (IED) against security forces, political figures, officials, police, and other government institutions while six others were suicide attacks. The heinous incidents claimed the lives of 275 people including 142 police personnel and 133 civilians while 214 police officers and 246 civilians were injured in the activities of the militants.
Commenting on the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the province and tribal areas, Dr Khurram Iqbal, an expert in security affairs and a PhD in Counter-Terrorism and Security from Australia, while talking to The Express Tribune, believed that the tug of war between the federal and provincial governments had destabilized the maintenance of peace in the southern districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Dr Iqbal further opined that in order to deal with the problem of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)'s cross-border sanctuaries, both the federal and provincial governments must take a united stand vis a vis Afghanistan for ensuring lasting peace.
On the other hand, Peshawar Police Chief Capital Police Officer (CCPO) Qasim Ali Khan felt that although the security threat was still prevalent, CTD and the police were trying their best. "The network involved in the Peshawar police line blast was busted this year while major target killers and suspects involved in terrorism were also arrested," assured Khan.
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