THE loss of a senior leader of the JUI-F in a bomb attack in Balochistan last Saturday once again underscores the need for top-level vigilance and intelligence gathering in the province.

The fatal attack in Chaman on Maulana Mohammad Hanif Achakzai, a deputy secretary general of the JUI-F and an influential figure in the area, would not have materialised had proper reconnaissance been carried out. An IED was detonated by remote control just as the cleric-cum-politician came out of a building. The explosion killed him and two other men who happened to be at the spot, while several others were injured.

The bomb was tied to a motorcycle that had been strategically placed near the maulana’s office — an arrangement that would have required precise and prior knowledge of his schedule. Balochistan, especially its border areas, has genuine reasons to be worried about militants trying to create trouble.

The province has unfortunately figured quite extensively in the news for militant attacks, the latest taking place yesterday in Loralai when one policeman was killed in a gunfire exchange with militants. Some divide the perpetrators of such attacks into two categories — the Baloch separatist groups that Islamabad claims are acting at the behest of foreign patrons, and terrorist elements which often operate from Afghanistan or have links to the long-standing Afghan conflict.

JUI-F members are particularly in need of extra protection considering that the party leaders have been frequent targets of planned attacks believed to be emanating from Afghanistan. In recent times, tensions have increased in Afghanistan and there is a need to strengthen border security.

It is inevitable that groups with militant credentials that are unhappy with the JUI-F, would target the party’s office bearers. In fact, in recent months, Balochistan has seen a spike in acts of terror along the Quetta-Chaman road, despite the overall decline in violence in the country.

Unless prompt action is taken and security and surveillance beefed up, the threat will only grow.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2019