Local Help Can End KP Terrorism in Three Months

KP terrorism can end within three months if local councils and residents persuade terrorists to leave their areas, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has said.

Mehmood Jan Babar, spokesperson for the 12 designated terrorist-affected districts of the province, made the claim at a news conference at the police headquarters in Peshawar on Wednesday.

He said the prime minister had given a clear message to members of the Area Representative and Development Council (ARDC): they should not fight the terrorists themselves, but tell them to leave their areas. If the councils and residents succeed, he said, their areas will be cleared within three months and militancy will never return.

KP terrorism fight needs local support

Mr Jan said efforts to combat terrorism would face hurdles similar to those seen under the previous government. He said Afghan soil was continuously used to carry out terrorist activities against Pakistan.

He said Pakistan had always presented its case against terrorism before the world, with evidence. He described the threat as a chain of attackers that showed no sign of ending, with fighters using the cover of darkness to enter Pakistan and plan attacks.

The claim comes in a week of heavy violence in the province. Police killed a wanted TTP commander in Khyber and foiled an attack in Dera Ismail Khan, and 10 policemen were martyred in an ambush in Kohat. The prime minister and the president have both paid tribute to the martyred policemen.

Afghan fighter arrested in Tirah valley

Additional Inspector General Abbas Ahsan, who attended the news conference, said law-enforcement agencies had arrested an Afghan terrorist.

He said the arrest of Hikmatullah, also known as Hamza, came during an intelligence-based operation in Tirah valley of Khyber tribal district on November 7, as he was planning an attack on a security checkpost.

The detainee had served in the Afghan National Army, then started teaching at a seminary in Jalalabad before joining terrorist outfits, Mr Ahsan said. He had even trained a suicide bomber.

Mr Ahsan said Hikmatullah had been linked with several groups, including the banned Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, and had confessed to involvement in terrorist activities in Pakistan. He belonged to Mangyar village in the Chamkani area of Afghanistan’s Paktia province and had crossed into Pakistan.

The official said the arrest had revealed who the facilitators were in Pakistan and in Afghanistan, where the detainee received training and where he planned to carry out attacks. He said Hikmatullah had received three months of terrorist training and another three months of commando training while serving in the Afghan army. After the Afghan army was dissolved, he began using his skills in various seminaries.

A video was later played showing the detainee confessing to involvement in terrorist activities in Pakistan.

Mr Ahsan said the detainee had attempted to attack a security post before being tracked down and arrested. He added that the suicide bomber the detainee had trained, named Akrama, would also be arrested soon.

He said mobile phone data, calls and locations in Afghanistan and Pakistan were being tracked, and further details would be shared soon. He alleged that Afghanistan was providing facilitation to those planning attacks in Pakistan, including open recruitment and planning on its soil.

Emergency districts get special funding

Mr Ahsan said the 12 districts had been designated for the imposition of an emergency because of the delicate law and order situation. A special funding package had been prepared for them, with 40 per cent to be spent on building the capacity of the police.

He said the use of drones by terrorists had emerged as a challenge last year, with attacks targeting police, security forces and even civilians. Anti-drone systems were being installed, while anti-drone guns were being provided to security personnel.

Long-range anti-drone systems were being installed in Lakki Marwat, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan districts to provide cover across the cities. Similar systems would be installed in other districts in the next six months, with medium-range systems to be deployed in smaller cities.

Mr Ahsan said Pakistan had been combating terrorism for more than two decades, with law-enforcement and security agencies fighting the war courageously. Human resources, human intelligence and all available electronic resources were used to arrest the Afghan national, he said.

The three-month promise now rests on the ARDC members and the residents of the 12 districts. Whether local councils can persuade armed men to leave will decide if the claim holds. Snowfall has already blocked the road to Babusar Top, which shows how hard the terrain itself can make any operation in the province’s north.

Frequently asked questions

What did the KP government promise?

It said peace can be restored in the restive areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within three months if ARDC members and residents persuade terrorists to leave their areas.

Who is Mehmood Jan Babar?

He is the spokesperson for the 12 designated terrorist-affected districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Who was the Afghan fighter arrested?

Hikmatullah, also known as Hamza, a former member of the Afghan National Army, was arrested on November 7 in Tirah valley while planning an attack on a security checkpost.

Which groups was he linked to?

Officials said he had been associated with several groups, including the banned Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, and had confessed to involvement in terrorist activities in Pakistan.

What is being done about drone attacks?

Anti-drone systems are being installed in Lakki Marwat, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan, with more systems planned for other districts in the next six months.