A policeman was shot while riding a motorcycle with his brother in the Balochistan provincial capital’s Eastern Bypass areas. Just a few days ago, in the Chilas area of Gilgit, militants were able to hold hostage a sitting Gilgit-Baltistan minister and several others by blocking Babusar Road.
Swat residents are protesting in the streets. Their sole demand is for peace in their neighborhood. The October 10 attack on a school van in Swat’s Charbagh tehsil was the main trigger, though there have been many recent events that have led to such desperate pleas for peace.
When 15 students boarded the vehicle in front of the school, the incident occurred. Though no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, locals believe it was carried out by the TTP, which has previously been reported to be active in the area.
In addition, the latest attack in Swat occurred a day after the 10th anniversary of the TTP’s assassination of Malala Yousafzai. Terrorism appears to be on the rise again, from Chilas to Quetta and Swat. On October 10, an unidentified gunman killed an Afghan police officer in Quetta. According to reports, the former policeman was shot while riding a motorcycle with his brother in the Balochistan provincial capital’s Eastern Bypass areas.
Just a few days ago, in the Chilas area of Gilgit, militants were able to hold hostage a sitting Gilgit-Baltistan minister and several others by blocking Babusar Road. All of these incidents point to a new trend in Pakistani militancy that poses a serious threat to both civilians and security personnel. The sheer strength of protests in Swat demonstrates the fear that people living in the area are experiencing; trauma from the previous TTP rule in Swat has undoubtedly come to the fore. A new militant group known as Mujahedeen Gilgit-Baltistan and Kohistan has also emerged; they claim to have kidnapped GB Minister Abaidullah Baig and blocked traffic on the road for several hours. Only after hours of negotiating was his release possible.
The way various militant groups are emerging and striking should serve as a wake-up call to everyone. It has been nearly ten years since the deadly terrorist attacks on the Nanga Parbat base camp. Since then, there should have been foolproof security arrangements in Balochistan, GB, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan has been plagued by terrorism and violence for decades. The TTP and its offshoots have had a love-hate relationship with the state, at times enjoying negotiated peace and at others engaging in combat with law enforcement. One thing is certain: Pakistan has made far too many sacrifices to yield to militant demands. This terrorist threat must be addressed now before it is too late for the people of Swat and the rest of Pakistan.
