Pakistan’s effort to negotiate peace with Taliban militants has completely failed, with hundreds of militants taking advantage of confidence-building measures including a ceasefire to re-establish a significant armed presence in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. Instead of returning home as defeated men looking to laying down of arms in return for a pardon, Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) militants re-entered Pakistan’s tribal districts full of confidence and with the purpose of making a show of strength. The potential of encroaching TTP units has been boosted by sleeper cells, raising their overall numbers to between 2,000 and 2,500 men.[1] The TTP has been behind several attacks in Pakistan over the past 14 years and has long clashed for harsher implementation of Islamic laws in the country, the release of their members who are in Pakistan government’s custody and a decrease of Pakistani military presence in the country’s former tribal regions.[2] Consequently, the law and order situation in KP has severely deteriorated over the past few weeks as an increase has been noticed in threats and attacks on security personnel as well as high-profile political personalities. On November 28, TTP ended the ceasefire, citing that the government breached the accord. As a result, TTP terror attacks have left an indelible mark on the collective consciousness of KP.[3]
Police are on high alert across KP after the recent spike in attacks in different parts including Peshawar, southern districts, and the region of Mardan.[4] The worst affected places in the month of November include Bajaur, Peshawar, Mohmand, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Bannu, Kohat, and Nowshera.[5] Reportedly, since the ceasefire took effect, the TTP has built up noteworthy forces in the Bajaur, Khyber, and North and South Waziristan districts bordering Afghanistan, traversing villages and opening offices. From there, TTP militants fanned out across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, first appearing in Dir and Swat in groups of 10-15 militants in August, 2022.[6]
During the recent weeks and months, TTP militants, returning from Afghanistan under a dubious agreement, have been committing all sorts of violent crimes against the local people in different districts of KP. Visiting on December 6, troops positioned along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Tirah area of Khyber district in the aftermath of surging militant violence, Pakistan’s new Chief of the Army Staff, General Syed Asim Munir promised to carry out the fight against terrorism till the attainment of enduring peace and stability in the country.[7]
Politicians affiliated with various political parties have either come under attack or received threats in the current wave of violence. On November 16, Politicians questioned security arrangements across the province after six policemen were killed in an ambush in Lakki Marwat district. The banned TTP claimed responsibility for the assault and also released pictures of six AK-47 rifles it confiscated. Awami National Party (ANP)’s Provincial President Aimal Wali Khan said, “The government should make public the entire so-called dialogue process with TTP otherwise such attacks would continue.” Also, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao in a press statement said that government had lost its writ in K-P as no one was safe from the wrath of militants.[8]
Recently, a hand grenade was hurled at the residence of former provincial minister and businessman Haji Mohammad Javed for the second time. This was the second attack of its kind on the house of the former minister in the last two days.[9] An official of the capital city police said there was no casualty or harm reported in the attack. Earlier, a hand grenade was thrown at former federal minister Shehryar Afridi’s house in Kohat, while PTI MPA Aghaz Khan Gandapur’s residence was attacked by armed men in Dera Ismail Khan, leaving one policeman dead, some time back.[10]
Even the leaders of rightist religious party are also not spared. The Tablighi Jamaat’s senior member’s house was attacked with a grenade a couple of days back. There was no casualty or damage in that episode also. His house was also vandalised many months back.[11]
Separately from Aimal Wali Khan, Sardar Hussain Babak and others have received threats as well while the house of MPA Faisal Zeb was attacked twice in the last few weeks. Moreover, a grenade was hurled at the house of party Senator Hidayatullah in Peshawar in recent months.[12]
There is no denying the fact that majority of politicians in Pakistan are corrupt to the core, but with recent spike in terror incidents, the militants have caused a reign of terror in KP.
Furthermore, the wave of terrorist attacks has also increased across various parts of KPsince past few months. At least 118 terrorist incidents were reported in the province from mid-August till the last week of November. At least 26 policemen, 12 personnel of other law enforcement agencies and 17 civilians were killed in terror incidents across the KP. Moreover, 18 policemen, 10 civilians, and 37 law enforcement agencies personnel suffered injuries in these attacks. Interestingly, during the same period in 2021, as many as 102 terror attacks were carried out in KP that resulted in killing of four policemen each and civilians and 23 personnel of other law enforcement agencies.[13]
The reappearance of well equipped and organised TTP units in the province, seemingly without the obstruction of the security forces has provoked deep-seated feelings of fear, rage and betrayal among the millions of residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who suffered terribly during Pakistan’s war on terror between 2007 and 2015.[14] Apart from high profile people, the common man in KP is under the constant vigil and threat of the TTP militants. TTP is the ideological comrade and brethren of the Afghan Taliban, endorsing strict Islamic code at dual levels of state and society.
Unfortunately, yet predictably, Pakistan has topped the list of nations at the highest risk of experiencing mass killings, according to the 2022-2023 report of the US think-tank Early Warning Project. This marks the third assessment in a row that Pakistan has ranked at highest risk among all 162 countries. Pakistan faces multiple security and human rights challenges, including increasing violence by theTTP, which is responsible for a non-state led mass killing episode that has been ongoing since the year 2001.[15] In this ranking, it is important to note that, Pakistan has beaten countries like- Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Central African Republic, Libya etc which are notoriously wicked for human rights violation and well established for humanitarian crisis, waging war and rampant violence.
[1]https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3197196/why-pakistans-attempt-negotiate-taliban-insurgents-backfiring
[2]https://thediplomat.com/2022/06/pakistan-sends-team-to-kabul-to-discuss-ceasefire-with-tehrik-e-taliban-pakistan/
[3]https://southasianvoices.org/is-the-taliban-a-new-problem-for-pakistan/
[4]https://www.geo.tv/latest/458094-law-and-order-deteriorates-in-kp-as-attacks-threats-to-politicians-police-spike
[5]https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1019263-alarming-increase-in-attacks-and-threats-to-politicians-in-kp
[6]https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3197196/why-pakistans-attempt-negotiate-taliban-insurgents-backfiring
[7]https://www.brecorder.com/news/40213637
[8]https://tribune.com.pk/story/2386713/politicians-say-k-p-govt-has-lost-its-writ
[9]https://www.geo.tv/latest/458497-former-kp-ministers-house-attacked-once-again
[10]https://www.geo.tv/latest/458094-law-and-order-deteriorates-in-kp-as-attacks-threats-to-politicians-police-spike
[11]https://www.geo.tv/latest/458497-former-kp-ministers-house-attacked-once-again
[12]https://www.geo.tv/latest/458094-law-and-order-deteriorates-in-kp-as-attacks-threats-to-politicians-police-spike
[13]https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1019263-alarming-increase-in-attacks-and-threats-to-politicians-in-kp
[14]https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3197196/why-pakistans-attempt-negotiate-taliban-insurgents-backfiring
[15]https://earlywarningproject.ushmm.org/storage/resources/2634/Early-Warning-Project-Statistical-Risk-Assessment-2022-23.pdf
Photo Credit : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khyber_Pakhtunkhwa#/media/File:Khyber_Pakhtunkhwa_in_Pakistan_(claims_hatched).svg
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