It is always terrifying to see those tasked with the backbreaking responsibility of ensuring our good night’s sleep get hit as they stand in the line of fire. Because amid the tragedies of individual families whose loved ones are mercilessly snatched away from them lurks a sense of foreboding, a glaring vulnerability that screams out loud: you could very well be next.
The terror attack leaving at least two Pakistani policemen killed on a security forces’ check post did just that. It painted-in unignorable bold letters-how Pakistan’s security situation is far from perfect and the climate of fear that used to be our hallmark in the not-so-distant past might strike back any moment. Wasn’t it just yesterday that we were beating the drum about the beyond expectations of improvement in the sporadic bouts of militant activities? Pakistan has faced deadly attacks by the banned conglomerate Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan ever since the collapse of an uneasy truce in 2022.
Remember the overwhelming decrease of 36 percent in the number of terrorist attacks in 2020? Well, it is time to pull the boats back inside because those who thrive on innocent blood are back, casualties have soared through the roof and there’s no way to clear through the abyss. Earlier, this month, a July 15 attack in the city of Bannu saw a previously unknown group claim responsibility – Jaish Fursan-e Muhammad – validating that more and more players are entering the bloodied scene. That terrorism is pounding down our front door after six years of a consistent decline is reason enough to pull our socks and jump back to action. But while the law enforcement agencies have certainly gone well above themselves to restore peace, the relative weakness of our state institutions in acknowledging these threats as what they are is a major stumbling block. Unless Pakistan is not ready to forego any, and all political tactics, its inclination towards the deliberations table would continue to be exploited by the likes of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. Their blatant disregard of the writ of the state cannot be denied. We should not have waited to react to the first cracks when they had started ruffling feathers in North Waziristan and Balochistan. It might have even been an easier job earlier when security experts quite bluntly pointed fingers at the TTP as the major actor of instability. However, choosing to keep its head buried in the sand has not yet led any wand to magically swish away our myriad of problems. The National Security Policy can help generate a lot of positive press, but its success only depends on the will of the government to take some daring leaps. Whether it be crossing the border to have Kabul onboard; closing doors to negotiations or revisiting the security hotlist: the government needs to move beyond the current impasse. *