KPK, Pakistan – On Wednesday, a sit-in protest by police personnel in Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa entered its third day without any signs of a resolution. The police, protesting with their colleagues in three other neighboring districts, want control of the counterterrorism operations in their region amid growing militant activities. The protest has gained wide support from political parties, tribesmen, and civil society groups amidst growing fears over the security situation.
Main Body: Sit-in by KP Police for Leadership in Counterterrorism : After militancy started spreading in Lakki Marwat and other bordering districts like Bannu, D.I. Khan and Tank, the sit-in came about. The police officers, who feel highly vulnerable, maintaining that the militants have run a series of attacks on the law enforcers and government employees, demand that they should be in the leadership instead of the military to carry out this counter-terrorism.
The protests have continued unabated despite an attempt at negotiations by the local administration, and traffic between this part of KP and the rest of the country has been suspended. This turmoil reflects disgruntlement among the law enforcement departments with regard to the current security situation, which has spiraled out of control.
The Growing Lakki Marwat Insurgency: In August alone, if recent statistics are to be looked upon, KP experienced 29 terrorist attacks that claimed 25 lives. And Lakki Marwat was badly targeted by these onslaughts-primarily against its police officers and other security personnel. As the losses mounted and the public response remained inconsistent, the police justifiably called for a more involved role in taming militancy.
This is further manifested in support from local political parties and civil society. The residents of the area, who bear the maximum brunt of the continuing violence, have thrown their weight behind the police in asking the government to take immediate cognizance of their grievances.
Failure of Existing Counterterrorism Efforts: The current protests highlight the inability of the KP administration and the security forces to effectively deal with the militant challenge. It has kept the police in the background in the campaign against terrorism and heightened their sense of vulnerability. For the KP police, this is further proof that counterterrorism should concentrate at the level of local law enforcement rather than emulating the military operation of eradication at the grassroots level.
The call for unified counter-terrorism strategy: The police protest has also called for a comprehensive and united counter-terrorism strategy. Coordination in police, CTD, intelligence agencies, and military is a must; otherwise, a successful eradication of militancy cannot be expected. The policemen believe their lead role in counter-terrorism operations should be allowed to be performed, with military support when needed, rather than playing second fiddle.
Public Support and the Way Forward: The unity between police and locals puts additional pressure on both the KP government and security forces for action. The people of the affected districts have faced terrorist violence for quite long now and are demanding a more focused and integrated response against their harassment. The government must listen to these calls and ensure that the police are better equipped and given full authority to lead the operations against the militant outfit.
Going forward, the state should evolve an integrated CT strategy that, while including kinetic operations to take out the militants, also pursues the “build” part of the stabilization so that space cleared of terrorists stays clear. For this, the civilian administration has to be empowered to undertake long-term law and order responsibility.
The ongoing protest by police in Lakki Marwat points to the fact that something is seriously wrong with how the response to militancy is being handled in KP. The police, as a first line of defense, ask for a more central role at the head of counterterrorism operations with the backing of the local community. In view of all these issues, the government and its security apparatus must ensure that such misadventures are put to an end lest the security situation further deteriorates. The KP government and security forces will have to nip these concerns in the bud and work toward a unified counterterrorism strategy that effectively clears the militant threat in the region.