Security on Ashura

With Ashura only days ahead, our security apparatus has a great responsibility to ensure no untoward incident happens anywhere in the country. It is that time of the year when militants of different hues make attempts to whip up trouble and sometimes succeed by orchestrating terror attacks. The authorities cannot, therefore, afford to lower their guard and be complacent. What is needed, and what hopefully is already happening, is the federal and provincial governments, as well as law-enforcement and intelligence agencies acting in concert to defeat the nefarious schemes of the terror brigade.

There is evidence that law-enforcement agencies have worked towards eliminating the terror threat in recent days. Provincial governments seem to be getting in shape to rise to the challenge. The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government, for instance, will be flying helicopters to monitor sensitive areas and procession routes, and, wisely enough, has banned the unnecessary use of loudspeakers. Identical steps are being taken by other provincial governments too. Some of the measures taken in a bid to enhance security, however, have proved to be worrying. Afghan refugees and IDPs in K-P have been barred from entering certain areas due to security concerns. There is little evidence that such discriminatory moves help enhance security, but every indication that feelings of resentment in this part of the population will only grow as a result. A greater challenge is to prevent any lapses in the intelligence-gathering mechanism. This will be important, considering the law-enforcement agencies will be scattered thin when patrolling the length and breadth of the country on Ashura. Of even greater concern is the fact that apart from the heady mix of usual suspects, there is a new, potent threat of the Islamic State. This threat, along with the one posed by sectarian groups in southern Punjab, must not be taken lightly.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2015.

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