WHILE military personnel and LEAs have mostly been targeted in the current wave of militancy, the list of targets is by no means limited to security men. Politicians and public figures are also in the terrorists’ cross hairs, as the tragic killing of former senator Hidayatullah Khan in Bajaur on Wednesday shows. Khan was killed, along with four others, in an IED blast while on his way to a campaign event in connection with a KP provincial by-election. Though no claims of responsibility have yet emerged, police officials have called the blast an act of terrorism. The grim fact is that Bajaur and other tribal parts of KP have witnessed steady militant activity over the last few years. On the day the former senator was targeted, the military said it had killed a “high-profile terrorist” in Bajaur. Terrorists in the past have also targeted political figures and events. In January, Rehan Zeb, a young politician contesting the general elections, was assassinated in Bajaur, while a massive bombing in July 2023 targeting a JUI-F rally in the same district resulted in over 50 fatalities. The latter atrocity was claimed by the ISKP terrorist group.

Considering that the plethora of militant groups that operate in the country are stridently opposed to democracy, Hidayatullah Khan’s killing — and similar incidents before it — is perhaps designed to send a chilling message to political forces to steer clear of what the terrorists consider to be their stomping grounds. The culprits could include anyone — from ISKP and the TTP to any of the offshoots that have sprung from these deadly outfits. The names are, in fact, immaterial; what is important is for the state to ensure that no part of Pakistan is vulnerable to terrorist attacks. KP and Balochistan are particularly vulnerable in this respect. But the militants cannot be allowed to stifle political activity and prevent citizens from organising and expressing themselves. While local communities may not be in favour of full-scale military operations, the state needs to use all other tools at its disposal to secure these vulnerable areas and make sure that the lives and properties of citizens are safe. The administration recently launched its Azm-i-Istehkam campaign with great fanfare; ensuring security in areas worst hit by militancy must be the central plank of this campaign.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2024