ISLAMABAD The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) reported that there were 97 militant strikes in Pakistan in February, which led to 87 fatalities and 118 injuries.
PICSS, a think tank located in Islamabad, has released statistics for February 2024 that show some interesting tendencies in terrorism.
According to a PICSS report published on Friday, “there was a slight rise in militant attacks as compared to January’s 93 incidents, but the ensuing casualties were slightly lower, with 90 fatalities and 135 injured reported in January.”
The findings of the survey indicate a notable increase in violence in Balochistan, in contrast to a decrease in the tribal regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) (formerly known as Fata) and mainland KP. Terrorist organizations that target the electoral process and associated activities and discourage public involvement, such as the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), BRAS, etc., are to blame for the recent spike in violence in Balochistan.
The PICSS research emphasizes that the majority of last month’s attacks occurred before to the general election.
“Militant attacks in Balochistan increased by 72% in February over January, totaling 57 incidents that left 42 people dead and 72 injured. 33 attacks in January had resulted in 31 fatalities and 50 injuries. Interestingly, PICSS recorded that 30 of the 57 attacks that occurred in Balochistan in February targeted election-related activities. Along with attacks on PTI, PML-N, JUI, BNP-Mengal, BNP-Awami, and the National Party of former chief minister Dr. Malik, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was also a prime target, according to the statement.
A trend became apparent, showing that from February 1 to February 8, 50 of the 57 attacks in Balochistan took place. After the elections, there were only seven incidents reported, indicating that the militants’ main goal was to sabotage the electoral process since they saw political involvement in Pakistan as a threat to their cause.
Only three election-related attacks have been identified in the first eight days from other provinces, one each from mainland KP, the prior FATA region, and Sindh. Of the 57 attacks in Balochistan, thirty targeted election-related activities. Five attacks that targeted politicians after the election resulted in casualties—three in the erstwhile Fata and two in mainland KP.
In total, 33 attacks that were directed towards election-related events resulted in 35 fatalities and 59 injuries. Five people were killed and eight injured in post-election attacks on political figures.
On the other hand, the research states that while violence in the amalgamated districts of KP, known as Fata, decreased by 54%, violence in mainland KP decreased by 23%. Eleven attacks in the KP tribal regions led to seven fatalities and seventeen injuries, while in January there were 24 attacks, 36 fatalities, and 57 injuries. In comparison to January, there were fewer attacks but more human casualties in Mainland KP, where there were 23 attacks that resulted in 35 deaths and 28 injuries.
In February, there were five militant assaults in Sindh that left three people dead and one injured, whereas Punjab only reported one low-key attack that left no one hurt.
