The violence across Pakistan further escalated during the current week. Clashes between militants and military, and US drone attacks in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) resulted into the major loss of lives. Hostilities between warring ethno-political factions in Karachi also continued to inflict heavy human loss. The figures collected during the length of the week suggest that the total death toll in the city during the last five weeks has reached 132. The data collected (through ten newspapers that CRSS uses as the source) suggests that 150 persons were killed as a result of 59 incidents of violence across the country during the reported week (for details see data sheet).These violent incidents also left 74 people injured. At a time when total death toll saw a relative surge, the number of injured decreased sharply from last week 128 to 74 this week.

Contrary to the common trend witnessed in the past nine consecutive weeks, the militant endured the worst ofthe ongoing spate of violence in the country. In total, 99 militants were killed and four others were injured under different circumstances and most the dead were in FATA region. Though the second highest number of casualties was ofcivilians, wherein 43 civilians were killed and another 57 were injured in different parts of the country, the overall civilian death count, however, dropped by 23 percent (28 percent of the total dead were civilians against last week 51 percent). Furthermore, the CIA operated unmanned drones– missile strikes in tribal region of Pakistan continued unabated during the week, as three drone attacks eliminated 27 suspected militants in different areas of North and South Waziristan Agency (FATA). The sabotage campaign launched by the militants continued to rip apart state infrastructure and undermine stability. A 66,000 KV power transmission line was blown up in Jar area of Khar town, Bajaur Agency (FATA), plunging the entire Bajaur Agency into darkness. Three schools were also blown up by the suspected militants in Charsadda, Mardan and Nowshera districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

Two sectarian attacks were also reported during the week, killing seven, including five Shias belonging to Hazara community and a policeman in different areas of Quetta city (Balochistan). Furthermore, fatalities due to the target killings dropped during the current week, as 32 persons were shot dead in different circumstances around the country, which amounts to 21 percent of the total deaths, against last week 33 percent. As the pie chart illustrates that some 45 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 27 incidents of target killings, a staggering 48 percent took place in Karachi alone, killing 13 people (40 percent of the total killed in target killings) and maiming 11 others. Militants– casualties due to the ongoing military operation in KP and FATA region soared by 65 percent, wherein 57 militants were killed this week against last week 20. While total number of militant casualties in various incidents surged by 49 percent, as 99 militants died against last week 51. Meanwhile, eight security forces– personnel also lost their lives as a result of clashes with militants during the week.

At the same time the phenomena of recovery of dead bodies that emerged in Balochistan in 2009 is rapidly changing terrain and now shifting to Karachi. During the current week 11 dead bodies out of the total 12 were recovered from Karachi alone. Trends in the past few weeks suggest that the number of recovery of dead bodies is inflating in the city, and overtaking the numbers in Balochistan. In sum, violent incidents across the country increased significantly from last week 119 to 150 this week.

A concise look into the data, trends and terrain of violence suggests that the security situation in the country is getting messier with the passage of time. The government has many issues at its hand that addressing the security does not appear among its priorities. On the other hand, it looks as if US has taken it to itself to fix the issue of militants in Pak-Afghan border region. During last two weeks, eight drone strikes were reported in tribal region, killing staggering 73 suspected militants. Also, the killing of suspected militants in last two weeks amounts to almost two third of the total killed during this year. Looking at this sudden surge in drone attacks and recent statement by the US Defence Secretary in New Delhi, wherein he warned that US patience vis-à-vis Pakistan is running thin, one can anticipate an unprecedented peak in violence across tribal region.

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