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The resurgence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has rung alarm bells in the country as the responsibility for the tragic Quetta suicide attack has been claimed by the group.
In a tragic incident that took place on Wednesday morning, four individuals, including a police officer and three civilians were killed in a suicide attack near a Balochistan Constabulary truck in Quetta’s Baleli area.
As feared, the TTP had claimed responsibility for the attack. The blast comes just a day after the militant group called off the ceasefire the government and asked its fighters to carry out attacks across the country. This is a clear call for bloodshed from the militant group and we need to act fast because the TTP cells appear to have infiltrated and established around the country.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has also said in his statement that the attack acclaimed by the TTP is alarming for the Taliban-led Afghan government. Recently State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar also visited Kabul and held meetings with government officials, after the TTP ended the ceasefire with Islamabad.
The TTP leadership announced the end of the ceasefire a day earlier and cited the latest military operation against their fighters in the Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a reason.
For a nation that has experienced years of violence by religious extremists who did not even spare women and children, this is an extremely concerning and chilling development. What we need to come to terms with and accept is the fact that our previous strategy of veering between force and appeasement has failed. For groups such as the TTP, negotiations are a means to buy space and time to regroup.
What Pakistan needs is a multi-pronged strategy to deal with terrorism and radicalization and must work towards further clamping down on the financial channels that are used by militant groups. Now it would be really a big test for the establishment and incumbent government on how the matter with the TTP is dealt with.
