Thousands of people took to the streets in northwest Pakistan’s Wana city on Friday against the recent wave of “terrorism” and demanded the immediate restoration of peace in the region.
Political workers, social activists and traders attended the peace march organised in South Waziristan’s Wana today, the Dawn newspaper reported.
The Pakistani newspaper said demonstrators chanted slogans against the “fresh wave of terrorism” in the region, particularly in the tribal districts.
Leaders of PPP, PTM and PML-N, who addressed the rally, said the government was responsible for establishing regional safety and security. The protest comes with deteriorating security situation in the country, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, with the growing presence of the outlawed TTP in Pakistan.
Over the past few months, Pakistan’s law and order situation has worsened, with terrorist groups like the outlawed TTP and the Islamic State group executing attacks with near impunity across the country.
The year 2022 ended with the deadliest month for Pakistan’s security personnel in over a decade, said an Islamabad-based think tank as it pointed to the emergence of TTP as the biggest threat to the country.
In its annual report, the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) said Pakistan security forces lost at least 282 personnel during 2022 in attacks that included IED ambushes, suicide attacks, and raids on security posts, mostly in the Pakistan-Afghan border regions.
“The year 2022 ended with the deadliest month (thus far) for Pakistan’s security personnel over a decade, with the emergence of a new terror triad comprising TTP, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Daesh-Afghanistan as the biggest threat to the country,” the CRSS report said.
December 2022 alone saw 40 fatalities as it became the year’s deadliest month.
Security forces lost at least 282 personnel during 2022 (with 40 fatalities only in December being the deadliest month of the year) in attacks that included IED ambushes, suicide attacks, and raids on security posts, mostly in the Pakistan-Afghan border regions.