CRSS – Center for Research and Security Studies – Pakistan Focused, Independent Questions, Independent Answers

The violence once again escalated during the current week across Pakistan. Frequent clashes between militants and military in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and target killings in Karachi and Balochistan continue to make Pakistan bleed and toil. Meanwhile, the wave of target killings in Karachi has swallowed some 281 persons in the span of last ten weeks. The data collected (through ten newspapers that CRSS uses as the source) suggests that 143 persons were killed as a result of 48 incidents of violence across the country during the reported week (for details see data sheet).These violent incidents also left 66 people injured, number of injured decreased considerably from last week’s 71 to 66 this week.

The civilian fatalities out of clashes among violent actors insistently continue to top the chart, as during the current week again civilians were the major victim of violence. In total 59 percent civilians were among the total killed. Numerically speaking, 84 civilians lost their lives and 44 others were wounded during the course of week. Militants suffered the second highest number of fatalities, wherein 42 militants got killed and another eleven wounded under different circumstances. Furthermore, for a fourth consecutive week, just one CIA operated drone strike was reported, killing 24 suspected militants in Gorweek village of Dattakhel area, North Waziristan Agency (FATA). Militants also blew up two government schools in KP and FATA regions.

Two sectarian attacks left four people, including an intelligence officer and three members of Ahl-i-Sunnat Wal Jamaat, dead in Karachi city this week. Furthermore dead bodies of two persons belonging to ethnic Hazara community were found in Mainghundi area of Quetta (Balochistan). Moreover, casualties due to the ferocious wave of target killings increased by 14 percent (59 percent during current week against last week’s 51). Overall 62 percent of the total violent attacks were of target killing in nature. The trend also underlines that the target killing persistently remains the favorite tool in the hands of violent actors to inflict violence (see the pie chart below).

Furthermore, data illustrates that of the total 30 incidents of target killings; a staggering 43 percent took place in Karachi alone, killing 18 people. Militants’ casualties due to the ongoing military operation in KP and FATA region jumped by 58 percent, as 42 militants were killed this week against last week’s 18. On the whole militant casualties were just 29 percent of the total death toll. Meanwhile, the killings of security forces’ personnel swelled by 32 percent, as 16 security personnel lost their lives against last week’s 11.

Meanwhile, the phenomenon of recovery of dead bodies has emerged as new normal in the country. During the current week 20 dead bodies were recovered, nine of them were recovered from different areas of Karachi alone. In sum, the number of violent incidents raised slightly from last week’s 45 to 48, the number of total fatalities, however surged considerably from 93 to 143 during current week, while the number of wounded decreased from 71 to 66 this week.

Emerging violent trends suggest that the security situation in Pakistan continues to plunge, with no prospects of improvement, at least in near future. Figures suggest that almost 550 persons have perished across Pakistan as a result of different incidents of violence during the last four weeks. Most of the deaths were the direct consequence of renewed violence out of frequent skirmishes between military and militants in FATA in recent weeks. Rapidly deteriorating law and order situation got serious attention of military and judiciary during the week, wherein corps commanders’ conference in Rawalpindi and Chief Justice of Pakistan, who is hearing a case regarding law and order situation in Quetta, Balochistan, expressed serious reservations over the unfolding security situation.

Sources

1. The News
2. Dawn
3. The Express Tribune
4. Pakistan Today
5. Daily Times
6. The Frontier Post
7. Jang (Urdu)
8. Daily Mashriq (Urdu)
9. Aaj (Urdu)
10. The Nation