Daily Times

The year 2024 ended with a turbulent security situation in Pakistan. The country kept struggling against host of security challenges afflicting the nation in the foregoing year. Various incidents of terrorism, attacks on minorities, chaotic law and order situations, political tensions, inter-provincial border attacks, nationalist militancy, Sindh-Punjab Kacha area hardships and target killings of Chinese nationals kept occupied the national horizon with fear and uncertainty. The huge and unresolved quantum of such security related incidents in 2024 signals the continuity of the problems in the year 2025 as well. The most disruptive and damaging in this regard is the issue of terrorism. As per NACTA statistics only from January to July in 2024, on average 4.3 terrorism incidents occurred every day making it 131incidents per month. Out of these 57% terrorists’ attacks took place in KP and 40% in Balochistan. The year 2024 also showed rising incidences of terrorism compared to the year 2023. During the year 2023, 1514 incidents of terrorism have resulted in the loss of lives of 930 individuals in Pakistan while in first ten months of 2024 the ministry of interior recorded 1556 incidents of terrorism resulting in the loss of 924 individuals with 2121 people getting injured.

The foremost challenge for Pakistan’s internal security in the year 2025 thus shall be the effective action against the religious and nationalist terrorists. The cross border linkages between TTA, TTP and BLA shall have to be smashed. The situation requires a multi-pronged approach for FATA and Balochistan. The administrative layout of the state coupled with a comprehensive development agenda should go along with the ongoing operations against the militant groups in these areas. In past clean up operations in the given domains were not effectively supported by a sustainable governance model. Consequently the vacuum was successfully exploited by the TTP’s Noor Walli Mehsud and BLA nationalists. These centrifugal forces also benefitted from the smuggling and drugs economy to finance their operations. The consistent involvement of hostile agencies particularly RAW is another factor behind the militant activities of these groups. There are a set of hostile agencies out to sabotage CPEC development in Pakistan by targeting Chinese nationals. Since 2001, a total of 20 Chinese nationals have lost their lives in different terrorists attacks besides making 34 injured. The state machinery in the year 2025 should resolve to put a permanent end to such security lapses which cause great embarrassment at the diplomatic front.

Our historical experiences suggests that porous inter provincial and international bordering areas offer safe sanctuaries for the criminal elements to multiply their activities. FATA, tri-border areas of Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and riverine belt of Indus river (Kacha Area) are classic examples of such places where anti-state groups are found operating with impunity. This needs to be stopped by the effective hands of provincial police departments in collaboration with allied intelligence agencies. The writ of the state should seem to work across the country to convey a powerful message to extremists, militants and anarchists. In the aftermath of National Action Plan many radical tendencies were successfully curbed which seems to loose their base after 2001. A fall out of strategic blunders in handling TTA’s Afghanistan also multiplied the challenges. Consequently, the society has turned victim to various non-state actors perpetrating crime and fanning violent extremism in the society. An effective action in this regard is a crucial challenge for the state of Pakistan in order to make the country truly progressive and tolerant in the year 2025.

Amongst other significant challenges include the protection of minorities, control of drugs rackets, curbing illegal money transfers, banning the use of weapons, a decisive policy for Afghan Immigrants, development of inter provincial bordering posts, strict supervision of proscribed organizations, monitoring sectarianism and gagging of flamboyant speakers. In view of the possible US-Iran escalations these aspects shall assume great significance in internal security paradigm and shall require a focused approach to keep the security of the country in better order. While a medium term economic development agenda ‘Uraan Pakistan’ has been set in motion, the year 2025 corroboratively requires a well calibrated strategy for internal security like National Action Plan at the very outset. The country needs to specify how to combat different set of issues with a KPI driven domain of action by the concerned authorities. A debrief of the actions and failures faced in 2024 would sufficiently guide the way for a comprehensive policy framework. Our internal security policies always had a great bearing of international politics and regional dynamics. The disturbances in Middle East, instability in Afghanistan, India’s hegemonic design and China’s development agenda requires a strong state structure committed to wipe out terrorism and intolerance from Pakistan.

The writer is a Senior Superintendent of Police currently serving in Punjab. He can be reached at tariqazizsindhu786@gmail.com