Daily Times

The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) released its Global Terrorism Index (GTI) report on November 15, and the news is good. Although 956 people were killed in terrorist attacks in Pakistan last year, this was still a reduction of 12 percent since the previous year. Furthermore, this is the lowest number of terror related deaths in Pakistan since 2006. This is also the third consecutive year that Pakistan has seen a decline in terrorist attacks. The report credited 2014’s Zarb-e-Azb and subsequent military operations as highly effective, but also stated that the reduction in attacks could also be attributed to increased Taliban and IS activities in Afghanistan.

It is unfortunate Pakistan and Afghanistan have not been able to build a consensus on tackling terrorist outfits that pose an existential threat to both states. A final defeat can be inflicted on groups like these militias only through a joint effort.

Pakistan is still one of the most terrorism afflicted nations in the world. It ranks fifth highest in terms of number of terrorist attacks, right after Syria and before Yemen. Neighbouring Afghanistan, where groups like the TTP and the Islamic State’s (IS) Khorasan chapter reside, suffered the second highest number of terrorist incidents in 2016.

Despite the high ranking, terrorist attacks in Pakistan have declined by 59 percent since 2013. Pakistan ranked third in the GTI in 2013 when it suffered 2,345 terrorism related casualties in 1,933 incidents. In 2016, it was again ranked third, with 1,086 deaths caused through1,008 attacks. The latest GTI report states that the terrorist activity is no longer concentrated at the Afghan-Pakistan border but is a country-wide phenomena. Nonetheless, Balochistan remained the province most affected by terrorism. There has also been an increase in terror attacks in interior Sindh.

Despite the noticeable improvements in internal security, there is much that the authorities still need to do to restore peace and stability in the country. A step in the right direction would be to compile data and compare levels of terrorism and terrorist activity in different parts of the country. A variety of strategies are needed for the complex issue at hand. More importantly, Afghanistan and Pakistan must take more action against groups, which threaten both countries. As long as either country remains a safe haven for terrorists, improvement in overall security will remain tenuous at best.  *

Published in Daily Times, November 20^th 2017.