THE continuing spate of deadly attacks in Balochistan lays bare the state’s failure to pre-empt subversive forces, which seem to be operating with untempered vigour. Violence once again visited the provincial capital on Wednesday, with a remote-controlled bomb killing at least three and injuring 25 on Quetta’s Fatima Jinnah Road. It appeared from initial reports that the attack was planned and aimed at inflicting casualties on a police patrol. While a station house officer, whose vehicle appeared to have been targeted, survived, a deputy superintendent was not as fortunate. Civilian lives and property, too, were lost or damaged. They bore the worst of the attack, as they invariably do in incidents such as these. While there has been no claim of responsibility thus far, it bears mentioning that this was the second attack in Quetta within a week targeting the city police force. The first, a gun attack last Friday on policemen taking a lunch break, was claimed by the banned TTP. The modus operandi of both incidents suggests that the attackers had knowledge of police movements and response strategies and targeted them when they were at their most vulnerable.

Front-line security personnel cannot be allowed to become sitting ducks for anti-state elements. It is clear that there is a need to step up counter-intelligence efforts so that the elements providing support to violent outfits can be identified and isolated. It is also inexplicable why, given the visible resurgence of violence in Balochistan since the start of this year, civil security forces are not exercising increased caution and vigilance. This is surely not a time to be complacent. Valuable lives are being lost as authorities fail to proactively respond to the challenge of dealing with enemies that are evolving their tactics and refusing to back down. The National Security Policy unveiled just weeks ago promised a more secure Pakistan for all its citizens. Decisive actions must be taken — and seen to be taken — for people to keep their faith in that promise.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2022