hile politics dominate the media and public attention nationwide, a new wave of militancy is sweeping through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. In Swat, two blasts occurred at an office of the Counter-Terrorism Department, resulting in 15 deaths. The police investigation revealed that the centre had housed a cache of arms and ammunition confiscated from militants that caused the accidental explosion. Swat had already been a prime target for terrorism. The blasts caused fear and panic in the area. Some people were quick to describe the accident as an act of terrorism. This prompted some residents of the area to take to the streets and stage protest demonstrations.

A fact-finding committee has since been formed by the provincial government to investigate the recent incidents in Swat as well as other places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The committee comprises the Home and Tribal Affairs Secretary Muhammad Abid Majeed, and the Additional Inspector General of Police (Special Branch) Saqib Ismail Memon. The committee has been directed to submit a comprehensive report. Caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan has also issued a statement in this regard. Several senior officials, including the KP police chief, the Peshawar corps commander, the inspector general of the Frontier Corps, and the chief secretary, have visited the scene.

Earlier, the police chief offered funeral prayers for the deceased police officers and laid floral wreaths on their coffins. The rescue operation mounted by 100 workers was still under way on Monday. According to Rescue 1122 spokesperson, Shafiqa Gul, 13 bodies have been transported to the home towns of the deceased.

A security high alert throughout the province remains in place. The militants have shown no sign of stopping their attacks against security forces and police personnel. During a recent briefing to journalists, a spokesperson for the ISPR, said that 436 terrorist attacks had occurred in the country this year, resulting in 293 fatalities and 521 injuries. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone, 192 individuals were martyred. The ISPR director general also reported that security forces had conducted 8,269 intelligence-based operations, resulting in the arrest or killing of 1,525 terrorists.

The performance of the government in terms of activating police stations, establishing courts and providing employment opportunities for the youth appeared to lack urgency.

The primary reasons for the recent wave of violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are poor decisions about improving the police and law enforcement counter-terror capacity in the mid-2010s and the changing situation in neighbouring Afghanistan. Following the Army Public School incident in December 2014, a massive operation was launched across the country that led to the elimination of several militant training centres and hideouts in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), forcing most of militants to flee to Afghanistan. During this time, there was a notable period of peace in the Tribal Areas that were later merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, the performance of the government in terms of activating police stations, establishing courts and providing employment opportunities for the youth appeared to lack urgency.

Meanwhile, across the Afghan border, the Taliban took over Kabul and forced the Ashraf Ghani government to flee. Some Pakistani officials and political leaders, including former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan, invited the Taliban militants for talks. The government also released dozens of militants from various jails. However, when armed Taliban men returned to Swat, the citizens took to the streets against the initiative
and the negotiations stalled. This also led to renewed attacks by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Pakistan has urged the Afghan Taliban to either take action against the TTP operatives and leaders hiding in Afghanistan or insist that they refrain from attacking Pakistan. However, Siraj Haqqani, the Afghan interior minister, can hardly be expected to take action in this regard. There are several factions in the current Afghanistan government and many leaders and commanders. Haqqani relies on fighters from Khost, Paktia, Paktika, North Waziristan, South Waziristan and Kurram. The network has been strong in the areas across the Pak-Afghan border. When the Afghan Taliban were hiding in these tribal areas, the Pakistani Taliban provided them shelter and safe havens. It is unlikely therefore that the Afghan Taliban will take a major action against the Pakistani Taliban any time soon.

Perhaps that is the reason the focus currently is on intelligence-based operations on Pakistani territory. Recently, the militants have suffered heavy casualties. So far the TTP fighters have been targeting the policemen, who are the first line of defence.

The writer is a Peshawar-based journalist, researcher and trainer