Just three days before the country sees general elections, the unfortunate terrorist attack in Dera Ismail Khan has left ten policemen martyred and six others injured. This attack is a very grim reminder that despite all efforts to hold and smoothen out the democratic process, the security situation is fragile. Despite repeated instructions from the Election Commission of Pakistan, the challenge of maintaining peace is much bigger. This attack has also made clear that the instigators are the destroyers of democracy and wish nothing but to derail and shake the democratic process in Pakistan.
From a tactical point of view, the involvement of thirty terrorists in carrying out this attack is a reminder for law enforcement and security agencies that militant presence is indeed large in this area. This is not the first time that an attack has happened in DI Khan since the terrorism surge of 2022. But the noticeable thing about the attacks that have occurred in this city is that these attacks have inflicted major personnel loss compared to other areas that are relatively volatile per the militancy situation.
Kyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan remain vulnerable and the streak of attacks that has continued since recent months will affect voter behaviour and hence the election dynamic. It has now become a pattern in the country that around the elections, such factions become more active in their pursuit of causing damage to state assets. And, therefore, a loud reminder all state entities need to do something about the militancy problem. Hard tactics are definitely required to contain their activity and to eliminate them. But this is not a solution that rids the country of the problem for good.
It is a critical time as the country is set to hold elections in three days amidst a politically charged and divided environment. The best hope of every citizen of Pakistan is the peaceful conduct of polls. But yesterday’s attack in DI Khan has made us all look in a direction that is hard to look at – the security situation remains a challenge; one that cannot be ignored long enough.
