- Need for enhanced Pak-Afghan-US understanding
The complacency generally prevailing regarding terrorist strikes should end after the suicide attack on a police check post in Raiwind on Wednesday. The attack has led to the killing of at least six personnel and four common citizens. Dozens injured are being treated at a local hospital. The prevailing smugness is the outcome of a series of newspaper stories telling that terrorism in Pakistan has been brought largely under control. It must not be forgotten that during the last two months there have been 11 terrorist attacks in Balochistan, four in KP, two in Karachi and three in FATA. What is more a report compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) maintains that despite slight improvement in the overall security situation there were more suicide bombings in 2017 than in the previous two years.
On Wednesday the TTP threatened more attacks on police in retaliation for killing its associates in Punjab. Coming as it does months before the general elections it raises concerns about security during the election campaign. Before the 2013 elections the network had threatened to target the PPP, ANP and MQM and had actually attacked their election rallies, killed several prominent members of the three parties, forcing them to abandon their campaign in several constituencies. This time the PML-N could be the prime target of the TTP besides the law enforcement agencies.
The TTP has launched attacks in Pakistan from its safe havens in Afghanistan, making use of the misunderstanding between the two countries. The recent flurry of diplomatic exchanges between the neighbouring countries has produced some positive results. TTP top commanders Sajna, Rehan and Mullah Fazlullah’s son have died in US drone strikes. The US department of justice has also placed head money of $5 million on Mullah Fazlullah and of $3m each on Mangal Bagh and Abdul Wali There is a need to build on these relations to get rid of the scourge of terrorism on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistan border.