ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Senate was informed on Friday that there has been an overall a comparative rise in terrorism incidents in Pakistan, mostly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Replying to a question by Senator Seemee Ezdi, the Minister for Interior Rana Sana Ullah Khan told the House that Pakistan is currently facing a new wave of terrorism.
The interior minister told that there is an overall a comparative rise in terrorism incidents, adding that most of the incidents are reported in border adjacent areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Rana Sana Ullah said that from January to July 2022, 514 terror-related incidents took place across Pakistan.
Out of them, 307 incidents occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 189 in KPK, 12 in Sindh, 3 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), and 3 in Punjab.
The minister also apprised the following reasons for increase in attacks;
- Significant presence of transnational terrorist organizations networks and local terrorist organizations safe havens in Afghanistan.
- Terrorist organizations having liberty of action across the western border are trying to enhance their area of activities/outreach.
- After the United States withdrawal, terrorist organizations acquired abandoned sophisticated weapons/equipment. The possession of long-range weapons with night vision devices enhanced lethality and night operational capability.
- Growing nexus amongst various terrorist organizations at lower tier for undertaking joint activities.
- Terrorist organizations are reorganizing and regrouping to gain/consolidate foothold in areas adjacent to border for further ingress in major cities.
