The roadside blast on Wednesday which killed five people showed two things. First, the former tribal areas are still hotbeds of terrorism. Second, the target may well have shifted from the law-enforcing agencies to the civil administration. An Improvised Explosive Device was used to blow up the vehicle, leading to the death of the Assistant Commissioner of Nawagai, in Buner district, while he was returning to Khar Civil Colony after conducting an anti-encroachment drive in Nawagai Bazar. The local tehsildar was also killed, as were three members of the accompanying police team. It was not really a carefully planned operation, for though the deceased AC went to Nawagai every day, on Tuesday the time of his departure from Nawagai could not be guessed, though it could have been observed by anyone who observed the operation. It is even conceivable that some miscreant saw his arrival, discerned his purpose, and estimated how long it would take him, and then used that time to plant the IED. The perpetrator or perpetrators basically seized an opportunity. It is also possible that the terrorists had been watching the AC for a while, for the placing of the IED shows a knowledge of his movements that day.
The only protection against that is the sort of intelligence which would allow an arrest of the miscreants before they are able to do any mischief. This has become all the more essential, for the killing of the AC Nawagai has become the second time a member of the civil administration has been killed in five weeks. Earlier, an ADC was killed by Baloch Liberation Army terrorists in Sorab town in Khuzdar district while trying to stop them from entering a residence, after they had robbed the local bank, on May 29. Those suspected of the Nawagai-Khar road outrage are the Tehrik Taliban Pakistan. Though the TTP and BLA are supposed to have quarreled, they may well be continuing to cooperate to an extent.
The government must now ensure the security of its officials. It is not a matter of the officials’ courage, but the encouragement the terrorists get when they succeed in killing such high-value targets. The spread of the violence from Balochistan to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is worth remarking, and instead of fulminations against the central government for intentions of imposing Governor’s rule there, KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur would do well to improve his and his police force’s performance.
