The National Apex Committee’s meeting to review the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) on counter-terrorism has been postponed due to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s health issues. The prime minister, suffering from fever and a chest infection, has not chaired any meetings in the past two days and has been advised by doctors to rest.
This crucial meeting was set to address the increasing incidents of terrorism, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan, and was to include senior military and civilian leaders, provincial chief ministers, and intelligence officials. The agenda included an assessment of Pakistan’s overall law and order situation and decisions on security responses.
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Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in terrorist violence, particularly in K-P and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in 2021. A report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) noted a 90% surge in violence during the third quarter of 2024 (July-September) compared to earlier periods. In this time frame, 722 people were killed and 615 were injured in 328 incidents, with 97% of these fatalities concentrated in K-P and Balochistan.
The increasing violence is not a new trend. The first quarter of 2024 also saw high levels of terrorist-related fatalities, with 432 deaths and 370 injuries from 245 incidents, the vast majority occurring in K-P and Balochistan. Balochistan, in particular, experienced a 96% rise in violence, with fatalities doubling in early 2024.
Other regions, such as Sindh, have also witnessed an uptick in violence, though provinces like Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) have seen a decline during the same period.
The escalating violence, especially in Pakistan’s western and northern regions, continues to be a pressing concern for the nation’s security leadership. The postponed National Apex Committee meeting is expected to address these challenges once the prime minister recovers.
