Islamabad [Pakistan], April 28 : In February 2023, an ill-fated boat crashed near an Italian coastal town killing 60 people including a large number of Pakists. The ship was taking a treacherous route carrying both smugglers and migrants packed tightly with few food supplies and no toilet facilities. Trying their luck Pakists pay USD 10,000 per adult and USD 4,500 per child to either be detained by authorities or add to the dump of human carcasses along the coast.
The security issue in Pakistan has disturbed the average man's life so much that they would rather sit at street corners selling trinkets and souvenirs illegally in Italy than face another day of uncertainty because of the violence and conflict; the most recent victim of which is the Swat Valley.
After a brief moment of peace, Swat is again in the news for fast becoming the hub of terrorism, foreshadowing what might perhaps be the darkest era of Pakistan. On the evening of April 24th, two horrible explosions took place at the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of the Police station, in the Kabal area of Swat, Khyber-Paktunkhwa (KPK). Three buildings collapsed and 17 people including 12 policemen and 3 civilians were killed and 63 people were injured.
What was initially described as a suicide attack by PM Shahbaz Sharif himself, was later declared as an outcome of some short circuit or detonation of some mortar in the ammunition depot.
Did the senior police and intelligence officials change the statement to save face globally? The poor credibility of the state institutions due to the lack of coordination in the context of this incident shows the apathy of the Pak government.
The rising security issues in Swat have had the citizens poured onto the streets for a year now demanding the government's attention to violent activities. What was brushed off as insurgency is now believed to be terrorism, but the gravity is worse than what it was over a decade ago.
While claiming responsibility for the attack, an unfamiliar jihadi group Tehreeke-Jihad Pakistan spokesmen Mullah Qasim revealed that his group had support from army personnel in the episode. According to Mullah Qasim, the said military personnel detonated explosives at the police station and laid down his life.
Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan has also recently claimed responsibility for two to three attacks on FC in Balochistan. It is told that Mullah Abdullah Yaghist is the Amir of this group. However, Pak authorities and analysts suspect this claim and do not give any importance to it.
Whether it is an attack or accident, the affectees of the incident as well as the people of Swat are deeply concerned and shattered. Swat residents are sitting in protest. In the three days of Eid, around five terrorist attacks have been carried out in various areas of KPK. In one attack, a retired Colonel was targeted at Lakki Marwat.
Tragically, no one the KPK and the federal government, or the national media is taking the situation seriously.
The disinterest of the authorities for its people was seen last week when in a protest following a landslide at Torkham, the spokesman of the provincial government was invisible during the entire discourse. After the Swat attack, the Interior Minister asserted "The scourge of terrorism will be uprooted soon". But statements like these and calling the slain police officials Martyrs, without taking strict actions against terrorism hold no meng.
This new face of terrorism targeting law enforcers shows that no one is safe in Pakistan. Since the banned TTP called off its ceasefire in November 2022, Pakistan is slowly losing its grip on terrorism.
It witnessed bold attacks on the Karachi Police Office and the Punjab CTD in February 2023, Sarband Police Station in Peshawar and Mianwali Police Station in Punjab in January 2023, KPK's counter-terrorism centre in Bannu District (where locals were taken hostage), and so on.
Swat had been swept clean of terrorists ten years ago. Before that Taliban had a stronghold over the region and the crude version of Shariah law was the way of life. Now with the Taliban regime back in Afghstan, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant orgzations are changing the atmosphere in Swat to prehistoric times.
Targeted killings and kidnappings are the order of the day. Those who condemn the TTP in Swat are seen as traitors and punished by death. Pakistan must not forget "those in Swat may not be too far away from Islamabad".
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