he southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been badly affected by the recent wave of terrorism. Militancy has also spread into the tribal districts of Kurram, Bajaur and Khyber.

A day before Eid al-Azha, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan announced a three-day unilateral ceasefire.

Despite this announcement, there were some terrorist attacks in South Waziristan and North Waziristan. In South Waziristan, a central leader of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam was targeted. The Islamic State of Khorasan Province has since claimed responsibility for the attack. These attacks are alarming. It can be concluded that even if the TTP stops fighting there is no guarantee that other groups will follow suit.

Following the recent attacks, the security agencies are conducting extensive operations in various areas. In some of the operations, the militants have also suffered heavy losses. Recently an operation was conducted in Lakki Marwat. According to a police official, the operation was jointly carried out by the local police and the Counter Terrorism Department on information about the presence of militants in Serai Gambila police station. He identified the killed militant commander as Waliullah, a resident of Bachkan Ahmadzai. He said the deceased had been affiliated with the Teepo group of the Tehreek-i-Taliban. The police official said the slain commander was also wanted by the CTD for his role in the Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan attacks.

The top priority of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, meanwhile, seems to be the release of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader leader, Imran Khan. Hardly a session of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa legislature passes without asking for his release or criticising the federal government in this regard.

Some opposition leaders have alleged that the ruling party has always had a soft corner for the insurgents. In the past, leaders of the ruling party have been criticised for their silence with regard to TTP activities.

Taking advantage of the unrest, some of the militants have crossed into the merged districts. Some of them are now operating in the urban districts, especially in Dera Ismail Khan. Patrolling by militants on the road has become a regular thing in the Bannu district.

The operation was conducted in Lakki Marwat. According to a police official, the operation was jointly carried out by the local police and the Counter Terrorism Department on information about the presence of militants in Serai Gambila police station.

When the Afghan Taliban took over in Kabul, the nature of the war in Afghanistan changed. The Pakistani leadership at the time was welcoming of the change. Instead of addressing the change and devising a strategy to deal with the emerging situation in the region, the focus was on celebration. Now that the conflict has crossed the border and entered Pakistan, Islamabad’s priorities are still far from clear. The KP government alone cannot be held responsible for the situation. The coalition government in Islamabad, too, needs to do more.

The land bridge of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the backbone of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor from Gilgit to Gwadar. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif was therefore expected to hold a special meeting in Peshawar on his return from China. The PM should review the police performance, resources and the way to tackle the militants. However, nothing I this regard has been done so far.

Some political analysts say that the country’s political leadership has left Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan at the mercy of the local leadership. The requirements and objectives of the new war in the region are different. It is feared that these have not been clearly discussed or understood.

The possibility of launching a full operation in the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been mooted. However, it remains unclear what such an operation will yield.

An important factor is the nature of the militancy in the region. From Lal Masjid in Islamabad to Swat and Waziristan, the composition and objectives of the fighters have been changing. When the pressure increases in one place, most of the fighters move to another place. Now that they have support in Afghanistan across the border, the ways to fight them have to evolve. If the initiative and the momentum are not retained, the militants could spring a surprise and once again march out of the southern districts and head towards Malakand division or to the northern districts.

There have been reports that a message has been sent to the Kabul government that such a situation will not be tolerated. Whatever the structure, form, goals and outcomes of the new war, it needs to be prioritised as a problem.

The writer is a Peshawar-based journalist,researcher and trainer. He also works for the digital media platform The Khorasan Diary