In the wake of massive Peshawar mosque attack, it has become imperative to put our security apparatus o the red alert with a view to improving our intelligence gathering to avert the dangers of further attacks across the country.

The scale of the tragedy in Peshawar indicates the capability of the terrorists who are striking at will.  Entering the central and sensitive area of the provincial capital is pointing to the intelligence failure which needs to be improved.

As reported, around 400 policemen were present in this sensitive location at the time of the blast which indicate that a security lapse has occurred due to which the terrorists have got access inside with powerful explosives.

The high number of casualties in which 59 persons was killed and over hundred injured can speak volume of the scale of the attack.  It was so powerful attack that efforts to rescue those trapped under the debris of the collapsed building continued into yesterday afternoon.

One would agree with Pakistan’s  Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who has stressed that “the National Action Plan is the solution to the threat of terrorism, promising  its early implementation in strict sense of the word.

In fact, Balochistan and KP provinces have been suffering badly due to terror threat from the TTP and other militant outfits, which have become active after the Taliban government in Kabul last year.

Security experts have termed the recent attacks by the TTP across the country as ‘alarming’ in KP and in Quetta and said that it should also a cause of great concern for the Afghan government, which last year had promised the world nations that Afghan soil will not be used for terror outfits.

Meanwhile, security experts are of the opinion that the ongoing wave of terrorism in the country should be dealt with an iron hand. In fact, time has come for decisive action.

It is very unfortunate that militants have not only resurfaced and regrouped but they have also started challenging the Writ of the State across the country, mainly the KP and Balochistan provinces and also GB.

The KP and Balochistan province have witnessed series of attacks during the last one year and it seems that the attacks are on the rise with the passage of time.

This is the height of their extreme activism and boldness to be challenging the Writ of the State at will.

These militants have also demanded imposition of ‘Islamic Law’ in GB recently and also a total ban on women’s sports in the mountainous region.

Not only GB, Swat has also reported resurfacing of militants in the area, carrying out their nefarious activities in full swing since August last year. The citizens of KP, GB and Balochistan are perturbed over the rise in terrorists’ activities and have demanded of the Centre to initiate decisive action against the militants or they themselves will take arms to tackle the militants in case the Govt fails to come to their rescue.

On the other hand, their activities have also been rising steadily in not North and South Waziristan tribal area where the incidents of attacks on security personnel, killings and kidnappings of the citizens have risen sharply in recent months.

Every now and then, we hear about the attacks on security personnel and on security check posts in KP and Balochistan provinces in which a number of security personnel are also martyred.

The LEAs and security agencies must be on high alert about the impending threat of terrorism by the  banned TTP and other terrorists and militant groups.

As a matter of fact, the time has come to deal the militancy and terrorism with an iron-hand before it is too late. Their activities are increasing at a very fast pace across the country mainly after the taking over of the Taliban in Afghanistan as it was after the Taliban Govt in Afghanistan that the militants’ outfits like the IS, the TTP, and BLF have not only regrouped but also started striking at will across the country. It may be recalled here that the Pak army high command while speaking at the 250th Corps Commanders’ Conference in August last, had also hinted at strict action against the TTP as it stressed on the continuation of counter-terrorism operations in the violence-stricken Balochistan and KP provinces where the banned outfits and militant organizations are busy  in terrorist activities with as many as 151 attacks reported till now.

Meanwhile, we should also properly equip our police with latest equipment and trainings so that they can properly combat the growing incidents of terrorism.

Security at all entry and exit points of the main cities like Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta need to be enhanced and monitoring  of the movements of the people should be done through latest systems available to record moments of the suspected persons. Snipers should be placed at key points and important buildings and installations and the police force should also be given thermal imaging facilities to detect any suspicious moment.

Published in The Daily National Courier, February, 01 2023

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