The government, against TTP’s killing spree
After the APC arrived at a consensus a month back, one had expected the government to urgently take measures for the restoration of peace. While the Conference gave priority to talks, the militants have continued to launch one disastrous attack after another. Among the major attacks conducted since September 9 are the killing of GOC Swat, the blasts in a Peshawar church claiming 80-plus lives, targeting of a passenger van killing 19 in Peshawar and Qissa Khwani Bazar blasts causing 40 deaths. That the TTP has gone on a killing spree indicates its lack of interest in talks. While the TTP is determined to continue on its chosen path of violence, the PML-N government is still not clear about a line of action. The PTI is equally clueless. The lack of movement on their part creates a perception of their having been mesmerized by the TTP into inaction.
The inaction has further encouraged the militants. Hardly a day has passed in KP without an act of terrorism being committed. On Monday the militants attacked a police van escorting a polio vaccination team, killing two. In another incident 10 people were abducted from Matani near Peshawar. Instead of snatching the initiative, Ch Nisar has called on the clerics to do something to end the killings. The attitude has caused dismay among the population and is acting as a dampener for the LEAs in KP.
On Monday, a Senate committee proceeding to Swat to review the repair and functioning of the Mallam Jabba resort was advised by the local administration to drop the visit for security reasons. After repeated assurances regarding peace having been restored in Swat the report comes as a shock. A month back a confident KP government had announced that it was going to take over civil administration of the valley from the army soon. The report indicates that things are worsening for lack of will on the part of the government. Last week the TTP asserted that it would kill Malala whenever it found an opportunity to do so. The network’s spokesman has asserted that the TTP was financed by the Afghan Taliban were also hosting Swat’s Mullah Fazlullah. The government and the army need to take note of this development. It should stop counting on the so-called good Taliban and take the necessary action before it is too late.