The six-year term of former Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa came to an end at the end of November. Terrorism continued to claim the lives of Pakistani civilians and members of the security forces during his tenure.
Following his appointment, the new Army Chief General Asim Munir traveled to the Line of Control, indicating that he was aware of the dire security situation. Additionally, two days ago, the Pakistani media revealed that India intended to place more than 100 ballistic missiles on the Chinese and Pakistani borders.
The Pakistani security forces have been losing young men in their fight against the BLA, TTP, and other militant groups. We should never take the threat of terrorism lightly, especially in light of the reality that more than 80,000 people have died fighting terrorism. In Pakistan, there has been an increase in terrorism-related occurrences in recent weeks.
Terrorists have made Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, and other cities in the country their primary targets for strikes, in addition to Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
A policeman was martyred and at least six others—including four policemen—were injured in the car bombing in Islamabad last Friday, the first suicide attack in the federal capital in more than eight years.
During the army’s continuing clearance operation in the Kahan region of the Kohlu district of Balochistan, five troops—including a captain of the Pakistani Army—were killed when a mine exploded. A group of militants attempted to cross the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan through the Sambaza district of Zhob. The security forces discovered them as they were preparing to carry out sabotage in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In the firing, one jawan was martyred and one terrorist was killed. Additionally, 15 people were hurt, including three officers, a woman, and a girl, in five grenade attacks that happened almost simultaneously in five different Balochistan cities, including Quetta. A bomb disposal team in Quetta defused a grenade. Most bomb-throwing incidents took place at police stations. Many irreplaceable lives were lost in the attacks, and some saboteurs were also killed.
Amid a new wave of terrorism, Pakistan is facing the worst-ever economic crisis in its history. The fear of default is increasingly becoming a reality. In this situation, it has become necessary to fight the monster of terrorism.
The fact is any single law enforcement agency cannot completely combat militancy; to stem the flow of terrorism will require the combined strength of the military, provincial police forces, and the intelligence community. When it comes to counterterrorism, the center, the provinces, the security establishment, and everyone else involved must be on the same page. It is now necessary for all interested parties to come together and develop a single strategy to combat terrorism.
