The year 2023 can see a lot of terrorist attacks if comprehensive action was not taken by the Govt as the banned TTP terrorists are striking at will and  over one hundred and fifty terrorists attacks were carried out by  its members during the last one year. With the passage of time, their attacking spree is getting  intensified which can be guagued from their activities throughout the country.

On Sunday,  policeman was gunned down while two others were injured  in terrorists attack on a check post in Charsaddah area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. TTP has claimed responsibility for this heinous act of terrorism in a statement.

This is the third such attack in Charsadda within six weeks.

Earlier, a constable  was gunned down when unidentified terrorists fired at him in the jurisdiction of Omarzai police station.

Before that, a tribal elder was gunned down while three others were injured in a gun attack in Shabqadar tehsil of Charsaddah.

The TTP has not only regrouped but has also stablilised itself once again after the Talilan government in Afghanistan, which is evident from its killing spress in the country. They share same ideologies as that by the Afghan Taliban.

Since August last year, when the peace talks  between the  Govt and the TTP failed, they have started their attacks  openly after the ceasefire was  declared null by TTP last year on November 28.

As a matter of fact, these terrorists infiltrate into to Pakistan through Afghan border under the disguise of Afghan refugees and according to a recent report by the UN, the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan which comprises up to 5,000 militant fighters is present in Afghanistan.

This was disclosed in a report, sent to the UN SC in February last, and it had also warned that after the takeover of Afghanistan by Taliban, the Afghan soil can become a safe haven for terrorists groups like the Al Qaeda , the IS, etc.

In March last year, as many as  three militants of the IS-Khorasan chapter were killed in an exchange of fire with the security personnel during an Intelligence Based Operation in Jamrud District of KPK.

The last year killing of the most-wanted Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a US drone strike recently in Afghanistan, proves the presence of terrorists groups like the IS, the Al-Qaeda and other militants groups, who have not only regrouped themselves after the Taliban take-over in Afghanistan but are also involved in terrorists activities across the border in Pakistan.

The ongoing terrorist attacks by terrorists, mainly in the KP’s South Waziristan, North Waziristan and adjoining tribal areas along the Afghanistan border indicate that the terrorists are active against Pakistan.

Every now and then we hear of terrorists attacks in the country.

Over the past few months, it has been noticed that the main target of the terrorists are the security forces and hundreds of Pakistani soldiers have been killed in terrorist attacks since last year.

From January to March this year, 

As many as 97  Pak security personnel were martyred  in period less than 3 months in terror attacks by militants along Afghanistan border’ in KP and Balochistan areas which are near the Afghan border areas.

And the last year’s most gruesome attack took place in Peshawar when a suicide bombing inside a mosque in Kucha Risaldar, killed and injured around 200 worshipers who had gathered for Friday prayers. The IS Khorasan Chapter which is present in Afghanistan was involved in the Peshawar attack accepted responsibility for this horrifying attack. The same month, the commander of this militant Islamic State group’s Khorasan chapter (IS-K) namely Hasan Shah, who was mastermind of this horrifying suicide attack was killed in an intelligence-based operation by the Counter-Terrorism Department. The mastermind of Peshawar mosque attack was reportedly a member of the outlawed TTP, but had later left the TTP and switched over to the IS-K.

The resurgence of violence at times when the country is faced with economic crisis is a matter of serious concern. Since we are in election year, so stability is a must as the TTP terrorists will take benefit of the situation and before election, they militancy must be tackled with an iron fist.

The TTP has openly asked its militants to carry out attacks in the country at will after the ceasefire of peace agreement with Pak government.

According to the report by  Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), which is a research-based organisations, over one hundred and fifty attacks have been carried out by the TTP and its affiliate groups  attacks  last year,  during which over 150 people, mainly the law enforcement agencies personnel, were killed.

The alarming situation demands that our security apparatus must devise an effective counterterrorism policy before it is too late.

On the other hand, the Govt must warn the Kabul government for the cross border attacks within Pakistan because the Afghan Taliban Govt’s policies have encouraged the TTP who are on the rampage in the country right now.

The presence of terrorists outfits on Afghan soil indicate that the Afghan Taliban Government are providing shelter to them.

Published in The Daily National Courier, January, 23 2023

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