Quetta Railway Station suicide bombing killed 27 and injured more than 60. Hundreds of passengers were on the station’s platform at the time of the blast. Social media disclosures included posting details and a photograph regarding the suicide attacker at Quetta Railway Station by the Baloch Liberation Army. He was reportedly loaded from head to toe with foreign weapons and equipment.
The resurgence of terrorism activities is because of the incomplete measures to eradicate terrorists. The recent wave of terror where dozens of innocent lives were lost and most families destroyed, is a situation that cannot be ignored. Unfortunately, however, the response of the government is still shallow without any definitive step in ensuring that the lives and property of its people are secured in the future.
While recent terrorist incidents in Balochistan again exposed governmental failures, a question equally pertinent arises: Who are the forces behind these acts? Are these attacks merely the work of local groups, or are international forces also involved?
Experts opine that just like in attacks on security forces and Chinese nationals and development projects in the province, separatist organisations want to make a statement by targeting citizens from Punjab-that outsiders are not safe in the province. That is the peculiarity of attacks by BLA that it reiterates proximity to Punjab’s bordering districts. There is evident proof that the banned Baloch militants are recruiting Pakistani citizens with attractive compensation to fuel terrorism in Pakistan. The experts, according to them, interrogation of separatist leaders that have been arrested has given important information to the security agencies to weaken separatist networks in Balochistan.
In the modern world, it has come to such an extent that the common people even do not dare to venture into Balochistan. The moot question is, where is the government? Didn’t it come to power through the very people who are now seeking refuge in it? Still, that is its response words of condemnation. Despite these repeated terrorist attacks there is no defined strategy or national consensus and even if there ever is an idea towards a plan it is dismissed by internal conflicts and political instability.
The Baloch separatists are targeting innocent civilians, who have no political stake in any security situation of Afghanistan. Many have been forced to flee conflict areas of Punjab because of attacks and targeted killings, and such attacks raise that sense of fear in them. Increased TTP activities inside Pakistan suggest that the jihadist camps are still operating inside Afghanistan, with Afghanistan, apart from harboring foreign fighters, is also backing their campaigns.
The rise of terrorist incidents in Afghanistan since the Taliban came into power can be attributed to several factors. One is the revival of dormant terrorist cells in Pakistan. Though counter-terrorism operations have been conducted, the roots of terrorism have not been fully exterminated. Terrorists are taking advantage of what already exists. For now, terrorists’ capabilities are on the rise; they acquire advanced weapons, and their activities seem to create an increasing threat in the future.
Thousands of small and big operations based on intelligence have pushed terrorists across the border, but Afghanistan does not have control over these terrorists. Cities like Peshawar, Mardan, Bannu, Swabi, and Charsadda are under terrorist threat, making these areas easy targets where terrorists are trying to spread fear and distrust among residents. Terrorists now target soft targets.
Contrary to this, in Balochistan, there are the cases where armed masked men board buses, scan passengers’ ID cards and take people from Punjab at gun point and other passengers are let go to continue their journey. Later, bodies of such people are recovered. The missing persons have every now and then been the subject of discussion of media, politicians, and human rights organizations. However, not a single word can be seen regarding the brutal killings of Punjab people.
It also involves dealing with the illegal acts or terrorism involved individuals by the state according to law. However, it is also very important to ask how many innocent doctors, professors, teachers, businessmen, and laborers are getting killed only due to their regional identity.
This cruelty needs to come to an end; people should not shun calling it like that. It is also a fact that there is a percentage of people who are supporting terrorists. Afghanistan still is not a friendly country to Pakistan, though three million Afghan refugees are still residing in Pakistan. After all kinds of betrayals by the Afghan government, they still await perks from Pakistan. One should ask oneself whether the Afghan political elites have the same kind of feeling about Pakistan. In the current scenario, Pakistan must be an equal adversary for both India and Afghanistan. All the terrorists, regardless of sect, nationality, or political and linguistic faction, should be brought to book without ifs or buts.
Terrorism, worldwide, raises its funds from a variety of channels. The financial networks funding terrorism are legitimate sources such as individual donations, business earnings and charities.
A portion of the donations and charity money that organizations collect is spent in acquiring arms, equipment, and training. Terrorism has thus become an all-consuming business, with business operations, mainly drugs that are sourced from Afghanistan. The hawala/hundi system has been in place for decades in Pakistan, India, and the Middle East as an effective money-laundering system and funding mechanism for terrorism.
This system, for years, has allowed the laundering of illegal funds-including terrorist money. Terrorist groups take advantage of this system because it often functions under the cover of legitimate businesses, and local bankers, traders, and merchants have also abused the system. For the most part, criminal proceeds come from illegal sources such as those from corruption, arms and drug smuggling-principally through the Afghan border-smuggling, illicit gambling, and other crimes.
Terrorism has escalated of late and this has become a reality that proves that short-sighted and feeble policies are no longer enough and raises a host of questions. Hypocrisy has to be overthrown and answers sought beyond the compass of political and strategic interests. It becomes clear that this is our war-a battle for survival for us and coming generations-and we do not have alternative routes. We have to emerge from philosophical debates and face the reality.
It is the civilian governments and parliaments that will implement the reforms in the system and laws. We feel that with sincere efforts to involve and win the confidence of the nation, such progress can bring about desirable change. This is now a time to put aside expediencies and launch an all-out war against terrorists and their facilitators across the country.