The jailbreaks in Afghanistan’s Kandahar and Pakistan’s Bannu may have similarities and its timing with the reported ‘spring offensive’ by Taliban in Afghanistan may also have a great significance, but the question is whether this is going to be used as a case against Pakistan or it is a genuine move against the occupation forces. It is said that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) men are regularly shown Hollywood action movies that stir not only the emotions but also provide enough guidance as to how to conduct similar operations in a sensational way. They reportedly blocked all the inroads before entering the jail so that the police or security forces could not briskly react.
While going back too they had the capacity to remove and recreate hurdles in order to make sure that no chase could be made. The attack and release of 384 prisoners, including some most-wanted and high-profile terrorists, has established that the war fought during the last many years and sacrifices by thousands of personnel, men and women, elders and children have gone waste. Secondly this has established that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and Afghan Taliban have either connections or part of Al-Qaeda and Taliban, or all the groups operating separately are actually one and the same.
This incident is a reminder that if a jail in settled area can be broken so easily and audaciously, then anything can be done on this pattern as it is widely propagated that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal can go into the hands of terrorists.
Though the authorities claim that this is not possible, given the command and control system and water-tight security, yet it cannot be ruled out and the government and security establishment have to be extra vigilant and take immediate corrective measures. This attack means the Taliban are in full gear to hit back in not only Afghanistan but Pakistan that is the front-line ally of America.
This also indicates towards the inefficient and ineffective prosecution system, legal process, interrogation and investigation system and the weakened civil administration that has by virtue of its inner ills and non-willingness no capacity to provide vibrant replacement. Not a single terrorist had ever been hanged or punished and those languishing in jails, like those of the Bannu, have either been released or secured.
The society as a whole has shown its weakness, the administration has proved it has turned into a security risk rather than being the custodian and this unwillingness on the massive scale has rendered the security forces of the country including the military isolated. The attitude by media, civil society and the government towards those brave soldiers buried alive under the thousands of tons of glaciers and rocks is evident enough.
ESCHMALL SARDAR
Peshawar
