by Fakhar Kakakhel in TNS, Dec 25, 2022
The writer is a Peshawar based researcher, trainer and journalist
Over the past year, the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan has carried out a number of attacks across Pakistan, killing and injuring dozens of people. The fear of terrorism has had a significant psychological impact on the population. It has also disrupted the tourism economy, as tourists have been hesitant to visit areas seen prone to terrorist activity.
The government has taken certain steps to combat the TTP and other militant groups, but these group remain a significant security threat.
After three days of unsuccessful negotiations, a military operation had to be undertaken to end the Bannu hostage crisis. The month of December has marked an increase in terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for several years now.
The Counter Terrorism Department of the Bannu police had arrested dozens of militants in intelligence-based operations. During interrogation, one of the militants seized a weapon from a CTD official.This led to the entire building falling under the suspects’ control and release of all suspects held at the facility. In video messages, the militants demanded safe passage to Afghanistan along with the hostages. They said the hostages would be released once their captors were safely away. It is significant that the Afghan Taliban had agreed during the Doha talks not to provide safe havens to militants from Pakistan on Afghan territory. The following day, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban issued a statement claiming that the ‘fighters’ had been misunderstood. He said they had wanted to be transported to their hideouts in Waziristan where they could join their comrades.
Military authorities at the Bannu cantonment operation room had tried to negotiate a surrender with the fighters. Some members of the suspects’ families were brought to the CTD building for talks. The leader of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, however, sent an audio message urging the hostage takers not to surrender. It was at this point that SSG commandos launched an operation that lasted nine hours. Seven militants surrendered during the operation. The rest were killed in the shootout.
At a news briefing, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price offered assistance to Pakistan in its fight against terrorism. The offer came a few hours after Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari arrived in Washington for talks with US officials. Price stated, “We express our sincere condolences…We call on those responsible to stop all violent actions, release the hostages and end the occupation of the counterterrorism centre.”
“The Government of Pakistan is a partner when it comes to these shared concerns, including the challenge of terrorist groups inside Afghanistan… and along the Afghan-Pakistan border…we stand ready to assist, whether with this unfolding situation or other situations,” he added in response to a question about the incident in Bannu.
When the Army Public School was attacked in 2014, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf led the government in the province. After successful operations in the tribal areas, some of the militants sought refuge in Afghanistan. There was a dire need for a judicial system to replace the centuries-old jirga system, distribution of lands and a strong police force. The priority of the provincial government should have been the stabilisation of the newly merged districts. Instead, the focus was on image building and electioneering.
Funds allocated for the merged districts were used instead on popular but less urgent projects like subsidies for the Bus Rapid Transit, social media influencers, health care voucher and MTI upgrades, as well as allocations in major PTI leaders’ constituencies. As a result, the provincial government failed to invest in a solid foundation for establishing peace and security in the post-operation situation. Police stations, check posts and police lines in the tribal areas were not constructed in a timely manner. Most of the tribal police do not have official weapons. Instead they rely on personal self-defence weapons just as they had done before the FATA merger. Many of the police stations are operating out of rented buildings, and there are no specific training arrangements in place. Locals say the then police chiefs were more concerned with enhancing the political image of the PTI. They pointed out that the party’s leader has a history of offering offices to the Taliban and has been described by a government spokesperson as a jihadi.
Sardar Hussain Babak, the Awami National Party parliamentary leader in the provincial assembly, spoke out strongly over the resurgence of militancy in the province. “The PTI will never speak out against the Taliban. Their leaders are sympathetic to the Taliban. They are paying them money. They are their supporters,” he told an assembly session.
In August 2021, when the Afghan Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the then prime minister Imran Khan, referred to the development as a “victory for the liberation war”. In some areas close to the Afghan border, some supporters of the Taliban raised the Taliban flag and held rallies. The then ISI director general, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed (retired) told reporters in Kabul that everything would be fine and started negotiating with the Pakistani Taliban. Some of the Pakistani Taliban then started seeing themselves as having achieved a victory similar to the Afghan Taliban and sought a Doha-style agreement with Pakistan. The PTI government also released several militant commanders and some PTI parliamentarians were reported to have paid protection money to the TTP. It is believed that the money is being used for terror financing.
On January 1, 2022, the killing of a policeman in Bannu had marked the beginning of a series of attacks by the Taliban across the province. In August 2022, one year after the Taliban took control of Kabul, they appeared in Swat and took some police officers hostage. This led to a nationwide protest. Despite withdrawing from Swat after the protest, the Taliban launched numerous attacks on police and security forces in various areas, including Bajaur, Malakand, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Charsadda, Peshawar, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, North Waziristan, South Waziristan, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan. A delegation led by some former jihadi leaders and government spokesman Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif was sent to Kabul by the provincial government to negotiate with the TTP. However, the head of the Taliban negotiating team in Afghanistan, Abdul Wali alias Omar Khalid Khorasani, was killed before the talks could conclude. Meanwhile, in Pakistan, a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly resulted in the removal of Imran Khan as prime minister. The changing priorities of the provincial government allowed the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan to end the negotiated ceasefire. In November, the situation worsened with 59 attacks, including three suicide attacks, occurring within a single month.
The Pakistani Taliban have expanded their targets in 2022, despite the extensive experience and capabilities of the police, intelligence agencies and the army. The problem lies with political priorities and allocation of resources. The Afghan Taliban may not fully understand the gravity of the situation. It is inaccurate to claim that the Afghan land is not being used against Pakistan. The growing threat of the Islamic State in the Khorasan Province (ISKP) in Afghanistan and the inflexible policies of the Afghan Taliban towards their citizens amid financial crises are adding to the problems facing the Afghan Taliban and will directly affect Pakistan. This is why UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently warned the Afghan Taliban.
In response to a question regarding the late cross-border attacks, the UN chief expressed concern about the several terrorist attacks by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. “We consider that it is absolutely essential for the Afghan Taliban not to allow any form of terrorist activity that might have an impact in relation to Pakistan, as in relation to any other country of the region,” the UN chief said.
Pakistan is currently facing serious economic challenges. However, maintenance of peace and security should be the top priority of the government. The ten-year tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government in the province is ending amid unrest, mismanagement, corruption and a lack of capacity. It is crucial therefore that a decision be made regarding the provincial government as soon as possible.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/1023033-the-terrorism-threat
