Undoubtedly, at present, terrorism is the main root cause contributing to overall instability of the country. The writ of the state is being challenged openly, which is the biggest impediment in the way of progress. Security of the state is considered as the first pillar to lay the foundation of development. But unfortunately, militancy in different areas of the country is growing persistently and hence resulting as an increased sense of insecurity in the masses.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA regions are the most affected areas of Pakistan where routine life of the people have been disrupted. Khyber Agency, Mohmand Agency, Kurram Agency, North Waziristan and South Waziristan are the areas that are under attack by the militants. The militant groups apply different tactics including bomb blasts and explosive devices to achieve their targets. Mostly, people in the Khyber Agency and Kurram Agency are made the target of landmines and bomb blasts while Mohmand Agency and North or South Waziristan are mostly targeted by drone strikes.
Different types of militant groups are active in FATA; the main militant groups in Bajaur Agency are Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Tehrik Jaish-e-Islami Pakistan, the Dr Ismail Group, the Karawan Naimatullah group and the Moulana Abdullah Group. Mohmand Agency inhabited by different tribes in which Safi is a small but the most radical tribe. The TTP is also a very active group in the Mohmand Agency. The Lashkar-e-Islam and Ansar-ul-Islam are the most dominant outfit in the Khyber Agency. Mangal Bagh Afridi from Lashkar-e-Islam and Qari Mahboob ul Haq from Ansar-ul-Islam are the chief commanders of militant groups from this region as well.
Likewise, the Tariq Afridi group of the TTP is the main militant group active in the Khyber Agency. The Kurram Agency has a history of sectarian violence and clashes between the Shia and the Sunni sects, which has caused thousands of deaths. The nominated Shia militant groups include Hizbullah, Mehdi Militia and Hydri Taliban. Major Sunni militant groups include Tehreek-e-Taliban Islami Pakistan (TTIP) of Fazal Saeed Haqqani, TTP and Haqqani Network. The TTP is the most active group in Orakzai Agency.
It is pertinent to note that Mullah Nazir group and TTP are the main group in South Waziristan and North Waziristan consists of the Utmanzai and Dawar tribes. There are dozens of militant groups working in the area in which Gul Bahadur Group, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Haqqani Network, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), Islamic Jihad Group (IJG), Punjabi Taliban and the Abu Akasha Iraqi Group are the major ones. Mullah Nazir has an alliance with the Gul Bahadur Group.
Militancy is spreading its wave to all cities of the province, especially to Peshawar, Hangu, Kohat, Swat, D I Khan, Mardan, Bannu, Nowshera and Lakki Marwat. Many girls and boys schools have been blown up in Mardan, Bannu, Nowshera and Lakki Marwat. Houses of the political leaders or workers have also been targeted by explosive devices in different areas.
Besides, Balochistan is also suffering from the prevailing wave of militancy. Sectarian violence, missing persons, kidnapping and turning up of dead bodies are the incidents that mostly happen in Balochistan. Quetta is the most affected because of the sectarian violence. However, Kech, Mastung, Qilla Abdullah, Zhob, Kohlu, Macch and Khuzdar are considered volatile for kidnappings, missing persons and dead bodies. As a result, thousands of families in Balochistan have lost their members to kidnappings.
Sabotage attacks are also very common in different areas of Balochistan. Gas pipelines, wells, houses, government and private buildings, schools and offices are targets of sabotage attacks. In 2013, most of the gas pipelines have been targeted by the militants in the Sui area of Dera Bugti. Quetta and its surrounding areas are very rich in certain type of resources and minerals and thus a big game of interest behind many scenarios. Insurgents have their own demands; the BLA and BLF are the main insurgent groups in Balochistan.
The situation in Karachi, which is the main industrial hub of the country, is no different. Various kinds of ethnic groups inhabit Karachi. Karachi is facing serious challenges of terrorism. Target killings, kidnappings, extortions, grenade attacks and bombings and political and ethnic clashes are incidents that the citizens suffer on a routine basis. Kutcchi Raabta Committee, Baloch gangsters and Lyari gangsters are the main rival groups in city.
There are certain areas of Karachi that are highly affected by ethno-political or terrorism-related activities. Karachi has become the centre of warfare but these are the areas that are the most affected: Malir Town, Shah Latif Town, Korangi Town, Orangi Town, Lyari Town, North Nazimabad, Bin Qasim Town, Gadap Town, Saddar Town, Jamshed Town, Gulshan Town, Kimari Town, Landhi Town, Saeedabad, S.I.T.E and Baldia Town (known for sectarian killings). The death toll in Karachi is rising day-by-day and even the ratio of killings per day has been increased over 100 during the last few months. Most of the political parties have been a victim of target killings. Workers and members of different political parties have been targeted by militants. The ANP, PPP, MQM and Sunni Tehreek are some of the parties targeted.
Punjab is a relatively safe province of Pakistan. Lahore is affected by terrorist incidents but not in routine as compared to some other cities. Since January 2013 to date, only a few attacks occurred in Lahore or other cities of the Punjab. Target killings, extortions and kidnapping cases are also rare in Punjab. As many people of Punjab have affiliation with the PML-N, and PML-N is said to be pro-Taliban, that is also considered a strong reason behind the safety of Punjab.
This whole scenario of terror incidents in Pakistan suggests the need for some urgent counter-measures. The state should provide the people with basic necessities of life, as deprived people are quite easy to manipulate. The justice system needs to be improved. It is a fact that most of the terrorists, suicide bombers and target killers belong to poor families. ‘Poverty’ has been identified as a common phenomenon among such persons.
As Pakistan has a very important strategic position, we cannot deny foreign interest behind growing terrorism in Pakistan. Most of the international actors are playing their role. Diasporas and insurgents groups are working to destabilise the country. Mostly, Afghans, Uzbeks and some foreign nationals have been arrested during 2013 from FATA. It is necessary for our government to keep a check on all these actors, and try to tighten the security over border areas. Moreover, we need a policy shift at state level, and especially to change the educational syllabus by purging it of hate material to make Pakistan a more cohesive society.
The writer is a freelance columnist