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Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Balochistan, K-P remain epicentres as Pakistan records 85 attacks in May
Despite heightened military tensions with India in May, Pakistan witnessed only a marginal uptick in insurgent violence, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based independent think tank. The monthly security assessment issued by PICSS recorded 85 terrorist attacks across the country in May—slightly higher than April's tally of 81. These incidents resulted in 113 fatalities, including 52 security forces personnel, 46 civilians, 11 terrorists, and four peace committee members. The number of injured rose to 182, with 130 civilians, 47 security personnel, four terrorists, and one peace committee member among the wounded. The figures represent a five per cent rise in terrorist attacks compared to April. Of particular concern was the 73 per cent increase in fatalities among security personnel, as well as a dramatic 145 per cent surge in civilian injuries—from 53 in April to 130 in May. Conversely, injuries among security personnel fell by 20 per cent. Security operations during the month resulted in the deaths of 59 terrorists, while five security personnel lost their lives in the line of duty. Seven security personnel and five terrorists were injured in these operations, which also led to the arrest of 52 terrorists. The month marked the first time since October 2024 that terrorist deaths were recorded in double digits (65), a significant decline from the 203 insurgent fatalities reported in April. K-P, Balochistan suffered the worst of the violence Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) continued to bear the brunt of violence, accounting for 82 of the 85 reported attacks. Balochistan remained the most volatile region with 35 terrorist attacks, resulting in 51 deaths—including 30 civilians, 18 security personnel, and three extremists. One hundred people were injured, of whom 94 were civilians. Militants also abducted nine individuals in the province. Among the most tragic incidents was a blast targeting an Army Public School bus in Khuzdar, which claimed the lives of eight children (mostly girls) and two staff members, while injuring 35 others. In the merged tribal districts of K-P, 22 attacks led to 45 fatalities, including 23 security personnel, 12 civilians, six insurgents, and four peace committee members. The region also saw 58 injuries, including 30 security personnel. Read more: Indian-sponsored terrorists attack Surab market in Balochistan Mainland K-P (excluding the tribal districts) witnessed 25 insurgent attacks, resulting in 14 deaths, including 10 security personnel and two each of civilians and terrorists. Twenty-four people were injured. In Sindh, three attacks were recorded, causing the deaths of two civilians and one security official. No terrorist attacks were reported in Punjab, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), or Gilgit-Baltistan. However, Punjab recorded the highest number of arrests, with 39 suspected radical elements detained during intelligence-based operations. In AJK, a raid in Rawalakot led to the killing of four alleged insurgents said to be affiliated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
Arab News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan saw ‘sharp' 22 percent decline in militant attacks in April, says think tank
KARACHI: Pakistan witnessed a sharp decline in militant attacks during April, an Islamabad-based think tank said in its report this week, saying that they dropped by a whopping 22 percent compared to the previous month, March. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based think tank, said in its monthly report that both militant attacks and resultant casualties dropped sharply compared to March. Pakistan's security forces have been battling twin insurgencies in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and southwestern Balochistan provinces. In KP, the Pakistani Taliban frequently carry out some of the deadliest attacks against security forces while in Balochistan, Pakistani troops are battling ethnic Baloch separatists seeking independence from the state. 'The number of militant attacks fell by 22 percent— from 105 in March to 82 in April— while fatalities and injuries declined by 63 percent and 49 percent, respectively,' the PICSS said in its press release on Thursday. The report said Pakistani security forces killed 203 militants in various operations throughout the month. Militants formed an overwhelming majority (73 percent) of the total fatalities in April, while only four casualties were reported. Of these, two were civilians and two were security personnel, it added. 'A total of 287 people were killed in April due to militant violence and security operations, down from 335 in March,' the think tank said. The report said April also marked the lowest monthly death toll among security forces since June 2024, noting that civilian deaths also dropped significantly last month. 'PICSS attributed these improvements to proactive intelligence-led operations and enhanced border vigilance,' it said. The report said the most 'consequential development' of the month was a two-phase military operation near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border that targeted a large group of infiltrating Pakistani Taliban militants. 'At least 71 militants were killed— making it the biggest loss suffered by the group in a single operation to date,' the report said. The think tank also noted the resurgence of attacks on local peace committee members in tribal districts who have historically resisted militant infiltrations. 'The resurgence of attacks on these volunteers, particularly in the tribal districts, suggests that groups like the TTP [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan] are attempting to reassert dominance by silencing local resistance structures,' it said. The report said mainland KP recorded 37 militant attacks in April, marginally down from 42 in March while tribal districts reported 17 attacks last month, slightly down from 18 in March. Balochistan witnessed 21 militant attacks in April, compared to 35 in March while Punjab reported three and Sindh four attacks in April. It said Pakistan's capital Islamabad remained peaceful in April, with no militant attacks reported for the second consecutive month.
Al Jazeera
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Photos: Afghan refugees remain rooted in Pakistan's northwest
Akber Khan is seeing a brisk trade at his restaurant in the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar. Staff fan skewers of grilled meats and dole out rice and salad. As an Afghan, Khan ought to be leaving as part of a nationwide crackdown on foreigners the Pakistani government says are living in the country illegally. But the only heat he feels is from the kitchen. 'I have been here for almost 50 years. I got married here, so did my children, and 10 of my family members are buried here. That's why we have no desire to leave,' he said. Khan is one of more than three million Afghans Pakistan wants to expel this year. At least a third live in the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and that's just those with documents like an Afghan Citizen Card or proof of registration. It is not clear how many undocumented Afghans are in the country. The provincial government appears reluctant to repatriate Afghans. Mountainous terrain, sectarian violence and an array of armed groups have also challenged the central government's expulsion ambitions. 'Afghans can never be completely repatriated, especially from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as they return using illegal channels or exploiting loopholes in the system despite fencing at the border,' said Abdullah Khan, managing director of the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies. 'Many villages along the border are divided between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and people in the past three or four decades were never stopped from visiting either side.' Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's proximity to Afghanistan, together with shared ethnic, cultural and linguistic ties, make it a natural destination for Afghans. The province has hosted significant numbers since the 1980s. Many Afghans have integrated, even marrying locals. The region feels familiar and it's easier to access through legal and illegal routes than other parts of Pakistan. While the provincial government was cooperating with federal counterparts, policy implementation remained slow, said Abdullah Khan. 'The (local) government is sympathetic to Afghans for multiple reasons,' he said. 'They share the same traditions and culture as the province, and former Prime Minister Imran Khan during his days in power consistently opposed coercive measures toward Afghan refugees.' Authorities are also wary about unrest, with Afghans living in almost all of the province's cities, towns and villages. Although police were raiding homes in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and other cities in Punjab and Sindh province farther from the border, the 'lack of aggressive enforcement' was the main reason for the slow repatriation rate, analyst Khan said. Pressure on Pakistan to have a change of heart – from rights groups, aid agencies and Afghanistan's Taliban government – could also be a factor. Nearly 60,000 people have crossed back into Afghanistan since the start of April through the Torkham and Spin Boldak border points, the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) said. Many recent deportations have been from eastern Punjab, which is hundreds of kilometres from the border and home to some 200,000 Afghans with documents.
Arab News
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
‘Under duress': Many reluctant to leave as Pakistan plans to deport millions of Afghans
PESHAWAR: Akber Khan is seeing a brisk trade at his restaurant in the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar. Staff fan skewers of grilled meats and dole out rice and salad. As an Afghan, Khan ought to be leaving as part of a nationwide crackdown on foreigners the Pakistani government says are living in the country illegally. But the only heat he feels is from the kitchen. 'I have been here for almost 50 years. I got married here, so did my children, and 10 of my family members are buried here. That's why we have no desire to leave,' he said. Khan is one of more than 3 million Afghans that Pakistan wants to expel this year. At least a third live in the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and that's just those with documents like an Afghan Citizen Card or proof of registration. It is not clear how many undocumented Afghans are in the country. Shared cultural, ethnic and linguistic ties The provincial government — led by the party of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan — appears reluctant to repatriate Afghans. Mountainous terrain, sectarian violence and an array of militant groups have also challenged the central government's expulsion ambitions. 'Afghans can never be completely repatriated, especially from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as they return using illegal channels or exploiting loopholes in the system despite fencing at the border,' said Abdullah Khan, managing director of the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies. 'Many villages along the border are divided between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and people in the past three or four decades were never stopped from visiting either side.' Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's proximity to Afghanistan, together with shared ethnic, cultural and linguistic ties, make it a natural destination for Afghans. The province has hosted significant numbers since the 1980s. Many Afghans have integrated, even marrying locals. The region feels familiar and it's easier to access through legal and illegal routes than other parts of Pakistan. While the provincial government was cooperating with federal counterparts, policy implementation remained slow, analyst Khan told The Associated Press. 'The (local) government is sympathetic to Afghans for multiple reasons,' he said. 'They share the same traditions and culture as the province, and former Prime Minister Imran Khan during his days in power consistently opposed coercive measures toward Afghan refugees.' Authorities are also wary about unrest, with Afghans living in almost all of the province's cities, towns and villages. A slow repatriation rate Although police were raiding homes in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and other cities in Punjab and Sindh province farther from the border, the 'lack of aggressive enforcement' was the main reason for the slow repatriation rate, analyst Khan said. Pressure on Pakistan to have a change of heart — from rights groups, aid agencies and Afghanistan's Taliban government — could also be a factor. More than 35,000 Afghans have left Pakistan since the start of April through the northwest Torkham crossing. It's a far cry from the volume seen in the early phases of the expulsion campaign in 2023, when hundreds of thousands fled to beat a government-imposed deadline to leave. Many recent deportations have been from eastern Punjab, which is hundreds of kilometers from the border and home to some 200,000 Afghans with documents. 'We are going under duress' At a highway rest stop on the outskirts of Peshawar, a truck carrying 30 Afghans stopped to give passengers a break before they left Pakistan for good. They had come from Punjab. Families nestled among furniture, clothes and other items. A woman in a burqa, the covering commonly seen in Afghanistan, clambered down. Ajab Gul said the actions of Pakistani officials had forced them to leave: 'We didn't want to go. They raided our houses two or three times. We are going under duress.' Another truckload of passengers from Punjab pulled over by the Torkham border crossing to speak to the AP. Jannat Gul outlined the dilemma that awaited many. 'Our children's education (in Afghanistan) has been destroyed. We're going there, but we have no connections, no acquaintances. In fact, people often call us Pakistanis. No one regards us as Afghan.' 'If they take him, I will stop them' There were happier scenes at the Kababayan refugee camp in Peshawar, where children played and ate ice cream in the sunshine. The camp, established in 1980 shortly after the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, is home to more than 15,000 people and has schools, a health center, electricity and drinking water. School is a crucial reason Afghans want to stay in Pakistan, because the Taliban have barred girls from education beyond sixth grade. Muhammad Zameer, a camp resident, said girls' education was 'non-existent' across the border. Other camp residents have a different concern: their Afghan husbands. Afghan men face deportation, and their local wives are unhappy. Some are fighting to get their husbands a Pakistani identity card, which unlocks basic public services as well as indefinite stay, property ownership, bank account access and employment. Some wives said they are willing to fight anyone deporting their husbands. 'I never imagined the government would treat my husband like this,' said one, Taslima. 'If they take him, I will stop them.'
Arab News
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan aims to deport millions of Afghans but local ties and resistance stall the campaign
PESHAWAR: Akber Khan is seeing a brisk trade at his restaurant in the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar. Staff fan skewers of grilled meats and dole out rice and salad. As an Afghan, Khan ought to be leaving as part of a nationwide crackdown on foreigners the Pakistani government says are living in the country illegally. But the only heat he feels is from the kitchen. 'I have been here for almost 50 years. I got married here, so did my children, and 10 of my family members are buried here. That's why we have no desire to leave,' he said. Khan is one of more than 3 million Afghans that Pakistan wants to expel this year. At least a third live in the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and that's just those with documents like an Afghan Citizen Card or proof of registration. It is not clear how many undocumented Afghans are in the country. Shared cultural, ethnic and linguistic ties The provincial government — led by the party of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan — appears reluctant to repatriate Afghans. Mountainous terrain, sectarian violence and an array of militant groups have also challenged the central government's expulsion ambitions. 'Afghans can never be completely repatriated, especially from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as they return using illegal channels or exploiting loopholes in the system despite fencing at the border,' said Abdullah Khan, managing director of the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies. 'Many villages along the border are divided between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and people in the past three or four decades were never stopped from visiting either side.' Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's proximity to Afghanistan, together with shared ethnic, cultural and linguistic ties, make it a natural destination for Afghans. The province has hosted significant numbers since the 1980s. Many Afghans have integrated, even marrying locals. The region feels familiar and it's easier to access through legal and illegal routes than other parts of Pakistan. While the provincial government was cooperating with federal counterparts, policy implementation remained slow, analyst Khan told The Associated Press. 'The (local) government is sympathetic to Afghans for multiple reasons," he said. "They share the same traditions and culture as the province, and former Prime Minister Imran Khan during his days in power consistently opposed coercive measures toward Afghan refugees.' Authorities are also wary about unrest, with Afghans living in almost all of the province's cities, towns and villages. A slow repatriation rate Although police were raiding homes in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and other cities in Punjab and Sindh province farther from the border, the 'lack of aggressive enforcement' was the main reason for the slow repatriation rate, analyst Khan said. Pressure on Pakistan to have a change of heart — from rights groups, aid agencies and Afghanistan's Taliban government — could also be a factor. More than 35,000 Afghans have left Pakistan since the start of April through the northwest Torkham crossing. It's a far cry from the volume seen in the early phases of the expulsion campaign in 2023, when hundreds of thousands fled to beat a government-imposed deadline to leave. Many recent deportations have been from eastern Punjab, which is hundreds of kilometers from the border and home to some 200,000 Afghans with documents. 'We are going under duress' At a highway rest stop on the outskirts of Peshawar, a truck carrying 30 Afghans stopped to give passengers a break before they left Pakistan for good. They had come from Punjab. Families nestled among furniture, clothes and other items. A woman in a burqa, the covering commonly seen in Afghanistan, clambered down. Ajab Gul said the actions of Pakistani officials had forced them to leave: 'We didn't want to go. They raided our houses two or three times. We are going under duress.' Another truckload of passengers from Punjab pulled over by the Torkham border crossing to speak to the AP. Jannat Gul outlined the dilemma that awaited many. 'Our children's education (in Afghanistan) has been destroyed. We're going there, but we have no connections, no acquaintances. In fact, people often call us Pakistanis. No one regards us as Afghan.' 'If they take him, I will stop them' There were happier scenes at the Kababayan refugee camp in Peshawar, where children played and ate ice cream in the sunshine. The camp, established in 1980 shortly after the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, is home to more than 15,000 people and has schools, a health center, electricity and drinking water. School is a crucial reason Afghans want to stay in Pakistan, because the Taliban have barred girls from education beyond sixth grade. Muhammad Zameer, a camp resident, said girls' education was 'non-existent' across the border. Other camp residents have a different concern: their Afghan husbands. Afghan men face deportation, and their local wives are unhappy. Some are fighting to get their husbands a Pakistani identity card, which unlocks basic public services as well as indefinite stay, property ownership, bank account access and employment. Some wives said they are willing to fight anyone deporting their husbands. 'I never imagined the government would treat my husband like this,' said one, Taslima. 'If they take him, I will stop them."
