Aplenty
When TTP terrorists entered Bacha Khan University, they found the institution as inadequately defended as the APS was over one year back. It took the police and army hours to eliminate the killers. The attack came only a day after terrorists killed 10 Levies personnel near Peshawar. The TTP is on the watch out for loopholes. The moment it finds one, it strikes. The two attacks coming within 24 hours of each other show there are grave lapses on the part of all the three tiers of administration: the federal, the provincial and the local.
The federal government has shown laxity in the implementation of the National Action Plan. What is more, NACTA, the centerpiece of the government’s security policy, still remains inoperative. The organisation was to bring together several security agencies, collate the intelligence provided by them and ensure timely action. Ch Nisar, who was made the pointman for the implementation of the Plan, has failed to put life into the organisation.
The provincial government was expected to revitalise the provincial intelligence setup. While a move in the direction has been taken by Punjab and Sindh, the progress in KP remains unsatisfactory. The party leadership is double-minded about how to deal with the terrorists. In July, months after the APS attack, Imran Khan still showed keenness to hold talks with the Taliban. With thinking of the sort prevailing in the top leadership, lapses of the sort that the terrorists wait for are likely to occur. Due to the lack of vigilance on the part of the university administration, the low boundary wall provided an opportunity to the terrorists to enter.
The terrorist group which has claimed responsibility for the attack had been pushed out of the Khyber Agency during the military operation and took shelter on the other side of the Durand Line. Unless Pakistan and Afghanistan join hands against the terrorist groups, they would continue to remain in business. A joint action by Islamabad and Kabul is needed to ensure their national security.