The violence subsided relatively across Pakistan during the current week. Wave of bomb blasts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), intermittent target killings in Karachi and frequent skirmishes between militants and military in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) rocked Pakistan. Fatalities involving warring ethno-political factions in Karachi have peaked to whopping 152 during last six weeks. The data collected (from ten newspapers that CRSS uses as the source) suggests that 123 persons were killed as a result of 39 incidents of violence across the country during the reported week (for details see data sheet).These violent incidents also left 165 people injured. At a time when total death toll saw a relative respite, the number of injured surged sharply from last week 74 to 165 (more than double) this week.

Unlike the previous week, where militants topped the causality ladder, civilians bore the major brunt ofthe ongoing conflicts in the country. In total, 81 civilians perished and 144 others wounded in different violent incidents. The second highest number of deaths was of militants, wherein 31 militants died and 13 got injured under different circumstances across the country. In contrast to the past two weeks that witnessed eight remote-controlled drone strikes killing 58 militants; only one CIA operated drone strike was reported during the week killing four people in North Waziristan Agency (FATA). The sabotage campaign launched by the militants to dismantle state infrastructure continued unabated as three power pylons, one of 220kv and another two of 132kv, two tube-wells and three shops were blown up by the miscreants in different areas of KP and Balochistan provinces. Suspected militants also blew up two schools in Mardan and Kohat districts of KP.

Contrary to the past eleven weeks where scores of people got killed due to sectarian attacks, no such attack was reported during the week in any part of the country. Furthermore, causalities due to the target killings further dropped to 17 percent against last week 21 percent during the current week, as 21 persons lost their lives in 17 incidents of target killings around the country. The pie chart illustrates that some 44 percent of the total violent attacks were target killings in nature. The trend also underlines that target-killing insistently remains the weapon of choice for violent actors to unleash the reign of violence and terror (see the pie chart below).

Moreover, the data underscores that of the total 17 incidents of target killings, a staggering 64 percent took place in Karachi alone, killing 12 people (57 percent of the total killed in target killings) and maiming four others. Militants– casualties due to the ongoing military operation in KP and FATA region fell by 46 percent, wherein 31 militants were killed this week against last week 57. On the whole militants– death toll dropped by 41 percent (25 percent of the total dead were militants against last week 66 percent). Meanwhile, 11 security forces– personnel also lost their lives as a result of clashes with militants during the week.

At the same time, trends suggest that the phenomenon of recovery of dead bodies is obstinately griping Karachi in recent months. During the current week eight dead bodies out of the total 13, were recovered from Karachi alone. In sum, as the number of violent incidents dropped from last week 59 to 39, violence across the country also subsided though marginally from last week 150 to 123, the number of wounded however surged substantially from last week 74 to 165 this week.

A trail through data, trends and terrain of violence suggests that the security situation is proving painfully taxing for both the state and society. Moreover, it seems that the insistent state of insecurity and persistent violence has failed to get attention of the political decisions makers, and that why it may become normal state of affairs in Pakistan—, at least in near future. All the factors leading towards conflict are basically political in nature and demand political intervention, but so far the response of the latter is evident of sheer political apathy. Meanwhile, it is an established fact that no economic efficiency and security forces– professionalism can be alternative to political imprudence. Therefore, the state needs to urgently prioritize the issues and act sooner to curtail loss of lives and precious economic resources.

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