Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed’s statement about Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) coming back to life again in Pakistan has provoked a new debate. The minister claims that the threat is ‘real’ and not just to intimidate Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) before its long march scheduled at the end of the current month.
Terror wave in Islamabad
On March 7, a constable of Islamabad police Qasim was killed while another was injured as a result of firing on a vehicle by unidentified suspects.
Meanwhile, in twin city Rawalpindi, Racecourse SHO Imran Abbas was also shot dead enroute his home.
TTP had claimed responsibility for both incidents in the twin cities.
Islamabad safe city project
Around 35% closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras of a total 1,800 of installed across federal capital are dysfunctional.
Once a safe haven
According to World Crime Index Report 2020, Islamabad was ranked 310 among the safest cities in the world after it improved by 69 ranks after improvement in law and order situation in 2019.
Its ranking was better compared to Sydney, Berlin, Moscow, London, Paris and Shanghai.
Spike in crime rate
However, more than 2,500 crime incidents were reported in Islamabad during 2020.
The street crimes surged drastically in the federal capital contrary to the claims by the police.
Rangers’ to the rescue
In a bid to maintain law and order, the federal government had deployed paramilitary rangers in Islamabad in 2014.
There has been an extension in the deployment of the force for the past 7 years.
As of now, as many as 2,500 Rangers personnel are stationed in Islamabad.
Slums in capital territory
According to a report, there are more than 15 slums in the capital territory where Afghan refugees reside. However, a proper checking system is absent.
Abolishment of police pickets
After assuming the charge, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed ordered to remove 30 of 33 police pickets in the federal capital.
The minister cited that extra police pickets were troublesome for the locals of Islamabad.
New initiatives
Meanwhile, Islamabad police introduced ‘Smart Stop and Search’ method to control crime in the capital territory. Under it, the police relocate after every two hours.
The government also decided to procure 100 modern wireless vehicles for Islamabad police.
TTP is consolidating: Rahimullah Yusufzai
Political and security analyst Rahimullah Yusufzai said that TTP was consolidating as its factions had reassembled.
Different factions within the militant organization had surfaced after the killing of Hakimullah Mehsud and Maulvi Fazlullah ascended as TTP Chief.
However, this decision created division in TTP as the foundation of the organization was laid by the Mehsud tribe and they were not ready to accept Maulvi Fazlullah as TTP chief.
The journalist said that the Taliban’s financers including India would now sign on after snow season in the tribal belt had passed and movement became easier.
However, Yusufzai said that TTP did not possess the same strength it had previously. He confessed that TTP’s sleeper-cells still exist and carrying out attacks in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Peshawar was not an uphill task for them.
The analyst said Daesh had also claimed responsibility for some attacks in Quetta but it did not do it on its own.
It had TTP’s and many militants earlier part of Taliban had joined Daesh.
By descending upon in twin cities, TTP wanted to disseminate a message that even the federal capital and garrison city were unsafe.
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They could strike big cities that ultimately prove more impactful, Yusufzai said.
He added there are possibilities that Taliban may attack army establishments or prominent personalities to declare their uprising.
The analyst said Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is going to start a long march on March 26 that would arrive in Islamabad four days later after passing through different cities.
Yusufzai termed it as a formidable challenge for the government to ensure the security of PDM leaders and march participants, Yusufzai
Sheikh Rasheed’s statement about TTP
Raheemullah Yusufzai said that Sheikh Rasheed’s statement about the resurgence of TTP was not to intimidate PDM but threat existed in reality.
He added that TTP would want to take advantage of opposition’s gathering.
In his opinion, the government gets such sensitive reports from intelligence agencies.
The analyst expressed that it is expected that PDM would lend a deaf ear to warnings just like it did in the past.