Due to the state’s inability to develop a successful counterterrorism strategy to address the resurgent militant threat, there has been an unacceptably high number of terrorist attacks and fatalities in the past year, especially among security personnel.
Five additional security personnel were killed in separate attacks on Friday in the Tank and Khyber districts of KP, just days after at least 23 army men were martyred in Dera Ismail Khan in the highest casualty attack of the year.
Following a militant takeover of the local police headquarters, three police officers lost their lives in the Tank attack. Two FC men were killed in Khyber when terrorists attacked a checkpoint. The timing of these attacks in relation to a significant act of Though it should be noted that this region was among the places from which the banned TTP initially sprang, the focus area—the southern part of KP and neighboring districts in Balochistan and Punjab—has become a new hotbed of militancy, especially since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. A new player has surfaced from the murky world of militancy: Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan, which is thought to be a front organization for the TTP. Some of the deadliest attacks of the year have involved members of this group.
It is true that militant groups frequently adopt new names, but their networks, leadership, and objectives never really change. Consequently, CT initiatives should concentrate on the leaderships rather than be sidetracked by names.The Afghan Taliban government, which the state believes is responsible for the actions of anti-Pakistan terrorists operating across the Durand Line, has been the target of much of the state’s ire. Though Kabul’s leaders undoubtedly still have a responsibility to stop terrorists from endangering Pakistan’s security, we are solely accountable for maintaining the security of our territory and cannot hold others accountable for our mistakes.
By all means, Kabul needs to be informed that terrorists cannot be harbored on Afghan soil, and if the Taliban are unable to comply, diplomatic pressure should be applied. But the onus is on the government to put an effective CT strategy into action. It is important to remember that a large number of terrorists are locals, and the vulnerable area has been socioeconomically marginalized.Radicalization has also been fueled by the socioeconomic marginalization of the susceptible geographic area.
Thus, in order to stop the violence, the NAP needs to be revitalized, and longer-term initiatives are needed to address the deprivation of the impacted areas. A new, fully fledged militant insurgency is unaffordable for Pakistan. That is precisely the situation that faces us if action is not taken immediately to mitigate the threat. The new administration and the caretaker arrangement need to take this threat seriously.
