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The Role of CTDs in Countering and Minimizing Terrorism
by Dr. Farhan Zahid
Terrorism is a form of political violence and the cheapest one as far as financial aspects are concerned. On the other hand, it is always very expensive for governments to counter the threat of terrorism, whether engaging in anti-terrorism (defensive mode) or counter-terrorism (offensive mode). All over the world, governments suffering from terrorism raise counter terrorism forces, customized to fight terrorist groups. They are imparted with specialized trainings and carry sophisticated counter terrorism equipment. Pakistan, a country ravaged by the scourge of terrorism is no different in adopting a similar set of policy, legislative and tactical measures.
The establishment of provincial Counter Terrorism Departments (CTD) was proposed in the first National Internal Security Policy (NISP) 2014-18. Along with other counter terrorism measures the NISP demanded provinces to establish CTDs as desperate measures were required to deal with rising wave of terrorist attacks. One of the contours of the NISP 2014-18 was to reorganize all provincial CTDs, by establishing a Federal Rapid Response Force in collusion with provincial CTDs.[1] Agenda item number 8 of the National Action Plan (NAP) also called for establishment and deployment of counter terrorism forces across Pakistan in order to combat terrorists’ designs in an organized manner.[2] It is worth mentioning that before these policy interventions by the federal government the provinces had some rudimentary counterterrorism structures.
Background
Pakistan has remained a hotbed of activities for a number of local, regional and global Islamist and nationalist-separatist terrorist groups. Since the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and the subsequent civil war (1979-89) a number of jihadi groups took roots and flourished in Pakistan and Afghanistan. After the withdrawal of Soviet forces and the dismemberment of the Soviet Union, on one hand Afghanistan plunged into another bloody civil war and on the other Pakistan faced increasing sectarian violence in its urban centers such as Karachi, Lahore, Jhang, Multan, Rawalpindi and others. The surfacing of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) was watershed event for the raising of Elite Force in Punjab province in mid-1990s. A plethora of sectarian and jihadi groups such as LeJ, Sipah-e-Mohammad, Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) and others perpetrated acts of terrorism across Pakistan in 1990s. Sindh province was also effected by ethno-political violence during 1990s. Hence, the provincial governments had already set to work by establishing ant-terrorist structures to combat the prevailing security threats. The 9/11 attacks and subsequent Global War on Terror (GWOT) set the mode for further measures to be taken by the successive governments in Pakistan. Military intelligence agencies, three wings of armed forces, provincial and federal law enforcement forces, Federal Investigations Agency (FIA), Intelligence Bureau, Frontier Constabulary (FC) and Pakistan Rangers established their counter terrorism units and wings in order to keep abreast of changing times and needs. Since then provincial police forces have invested efforts and resources to bolster their counter terrorism capacities and capabilities. In the recent past Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police has also fully functionalized its Counter Terrorism Force (CTF) whereas Punjab province raised another CTF unit besides the Elite Force. Sindh province raised Special Security Unit (SSU) which is considered the best equipped CT force in Pakistan as far as weapons and training are concerned.
The raison d’être of CTDs in Pakistan is to conduct operations, collect and gather intelligence, conduct terrorism investigations, train elite counter terrorist units, forecast future terrorism-related trends, and finally, monitor individuals on the fourth schedule, in sectarian outfits, and in religious seminaries.
The year 2018 remained pivotal as CTDs functioning in provinces managed to curb the activities of terrorist groups and scaled down the level of violence to various degrees. In 2018, 105 terrorists were killed during encounters with CTDs and other security forces in Pakistan; and 431 suspected terrorists were arrested in operations launched by CTDs. At least 10 major terrorist plots were dismantled.[3]
Punjab
Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of Punjab police was rechristened into CTD Punjab. The CID had been the lynchpin of operations against sectarian and Islamist terrorist groups in Punjab province since 1995. It was formally transformed into CTD in 2010.[4]
According to a CTD official of Punjab police, a number of terrorist sleeper cells are still operating in the Punjab province. These are mostly Islamist militant groups such as Jamaat ul Ahrar, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), Islamic State-Khurassan (IS-K) and splinters of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). More than 500 search and seize operations were conducted in the province.[5]
In its year-long major operations against militant operations the CTD Punjab engaged in scores of activities. Two JuA militants Amjad Khan and Dawood Khan were arrested from Harbanspura in Lahore in January 15, 2018. They were all set to plan terrorist attacks in Lahore.[6] The CTD foiled a bid of TTP terrorists to launch strikes against sensitive installations in Khanewal district and arrested four. The CTD also recovered explosive material, hand-grenades, and weapons from their possession.[7] The CTD Punjab also gunned down six TTP terrorists in an operation in Gujrat district. The six were later identified as proclaimed offenders involved in Ferozpur Road Lahore and Bedian Road bomb blasts. They were also listed in the Red Book of CTD Punjab; a cache of arms was also recovered.[8] In July 2018, in operations against IS-K the CTD arrested an IS-K militant from Daska, district Sialkot, and simultaneously averted a major terrorist plot being hatched by TTP against local politicians in Bahawalpur district while arresting four TTP militants.[9] Two more TTP terrorists were arrested from Bhakkar district by the CTD personnel in August.[10] In another successful operation against IS-K the CTD foiled a bid to perpetrate acts of terrorism on the eve of national defense day celebrated on September 6. The CTD raided a remote area Basti Shorkot of Multan district and arrested three planning to launch attacks.[11]
In October, while operating against TTP the CTD arrested three militants from Gojra bypass area of Toba Tek Singh district. A cache of arms, explosives, detonators, and other material were recovered from their possession[12]; another TTP militant was arrested from Rawalpindi district with maps of sensitive areas and explosive materials in the same month.[13]
Overall the CTD Punjab had managed to contain the terrorist threat from a range of proscribed groups. A key reason was CTD-Intelligence Bureau (IB) cooperation in the province as a result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two government organizations.[14] It is pertinent to note here that the successive governments in Punjab invested heavily in Punjab police keeping in view of challenges of terrorism. Hitherto the measures taken by the provincial governments are effective but not entirely adequate in the absence of implementation of policy measures to root out growing extremism from society.
Sindh
The focus of CTD Sindh remained multifaceted as it struggled to counter multiple threats from a plethora of terrorist organizations operating in the province. Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) was one of the severe threats. A key leader of AQIS and Emir of Sindh Umar Jalal Chandio alias Haji Sahab was arrested by CTD in Karachi in November 2018, a major breakthrough.[15] Chandio was not only the head of AQIS Sindh Chapter but was also considered very close to Al-Qaeda Central’s Emir Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri. His arrest could be a major advance in capturing Zawahiri.
Apart from working to curb the activities of Islamist terrorist groups operating in Sindh province the CTD also apprehended Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM) and arrested two militants in April 2018 belonging to this anti-state organization.[16] The leader of JSMM Shafi Burfat is based in a hostile neighboring country and conducts terrorist operations in Sindh at the behest of hostile intelligence agencies. These terrorists were involved in targeting of Chinese working for China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and attacked Chinese workers in December 2016 in Sukhar district and in Ghotki district in 2017.
In a discussion with CTD Sindh officials, it was revealed that the CTD in collaboration with Special Protection Unit (SPU) of Sindh police is providing security to the Chinese nationals working for the CPEC projects in Sindh. CTD is responsible for providing critical security input.[17] The CTD Sindh also published its Red Book in 2018 providing details of top wanted terrorists in Sindh. This is the second year in a row that Hafeez Pandrani of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi remained atop that list. He was involved in the planning of multiple terrorist attacks such as Sehwan suicide attack and bombing of Shia Imambargah in Shikarpur district. Other important terrorist leaders are Maqsood Brohi (LeJ) and Farooq Ahmad Shah (LeJ).
Baluchistan
Baluchitsan police’s CTD also performed well. Baluchistan witnessed a surge of 29% in terrorist incidents. According to a senior official of CTD Baluchistan:
- A total of 227 intelligence-based operations were conducted in the province during 2018
- 21 terrorists from TTP and IS-K were killed in encounters (11 TTP, 10 IS-K)
- 41 terrorists were arrested
- Out of 59 cases of terrorism in 2018 the CTD resolved 47
Key leaders of TTP and IS-K killed in 2018 included: Mufti Hidayatullah (provincial Emir of IS-K Baluchistan), Salman Badini (IS-K Emir of Quetta), Asim Muhammad Hasni (Emir of TTP Quetta), Waheed Bangulzai (IS-K), Saddam Hussain (IS-K), Mahmood Khan (TTP), and Muhammad Saleem (TTP).
Apart from eliminating these key leaders the CTD also arrested a number of important TTP and IS-K leaders: Fazal-e-Haq Khaksar (TTP), Muhammad Rahim (LeJ), Hafiz Ismael (LeJ), Khuda-e-Rahim (TTP), and Murtaza (IS-K).[18]
According to Mohsin Butt, the Inspector General of Police Baluchistan province, 15 police personnel lost their lives and 114 received injuries in combating terrorists across Baluchistan. In total 25 terrorists of both Islamist and nationalist-separatist terrorist organizations were also killed in encounters with CTD and local police. Moreover a total of 55 terrorists were arrested in 1,245 intelligence based operations conducted by the CTD Baluchistan. Overall 5,449 absconders were arrested belonging to 22 different militant organizations.[19]
Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP)
The CTD of KP province police could rightly be considered as the frontline force against terrorism in Pakistan. The CTD was established in 2014 and since then it has performed exceptionally well despite all odds. The CTD faces challenges of terrorism, extortion activities by a number of terrorist groups operating in KP province, targeted killings especially by IS-K militants in provincial capital Peshawar, and kidnapping for ransom by both terrorist and criminal networks operating in the province. With the help of US Department of Justice’s International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP), the anti-terrorist training school was established in the Nowshera district of the province in 2015. Two specialized anti-terrorist units i.e. Special Combat Unit (SCU) and Elite Women Commandos are additional features of CTD KP police.
Unique on its part is a study conducted by CTD KP of arrested terrorists to trace out the drivers of radicalization and subsequent acts of terrorism. According to this research, out of 1,650 incarcerated terrorists held by the CTD 1,182 were associated with different terrorist groups. Some 36 of them hold master’s degrees in different disciples, another 36 are graduates, 100 are intermediates, and 274 passed matriculation. They joined terrorist organizations while studying or soon after completing their education. 163 of them attended madrasas but 94 out of those dropped out because of different reasons ranging from socio-economic to terrorist recruitment. Majority of the sample are between 20-30 years of age and 140 of them are between 14-19 years age bracket. Most of them hailed from Peshawar (328) followed by Swabi, Bannu, D. I. Khan, and Mardan districts of KP province. As per the interviews, adherence to radical Islamist ideology was the primary reason of their joining of Islamist terrorist groups.[20]
At the front the CTD KP faces challenges from IS-K, TTP, Jamaat ul Ahar, LeJ, and a plethora of smaller factions of TTP, operating in different parts of KP province and some operating from eastern provinces of neighboring Afghanistan.
NACTA’s Role
National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) was established in 2008 to coordinate efforts of different law enforcement bodies, civil and military intelligence, and frame counter terrorism and counter extremism strategies. The organization is playing its role for gathering CTDs and other relevant organizations at least on monthly basis to discuss issues related to counter terrorism. Joint Intelligence Directorate (JID) is responsible for collating and assessing intelligence gathered at different levels and to further make it actionable. As far as CTDs are concerned NACTA has been able to provide policy guidance and acts as a place for cooperation and coordination. On confronting extremism, NACTA has formulated National Counter Extremism Policy Guidelines (NCEPG) but unfortunately no province has been able to implement in order to curb extremist tendencies.
Conclusion
For curbing decades long problem of terrorism successive governments have adopted policy, legislative and tactical measures. Scores of military and law enforcement operations, a number of legislations by the parliament, and policies adopted by cabinets have indeed yielded results. It is evident that terrorist incidents have taken a nosedive in Pakistan during last three years which is a commendable achievement.
But all is not well.
The issue of growing extremism has still not been addressed. Another pending matter is need for further cooperation between civil and military organizations dealing with counter-terrorism, and inter-civilian agencies’ coordination for concerted efforts against proscribed organizations. The provincial CTDs appear to lead Pakistan’s battle against terrorism, but still have a lot of kinetic and tactical work ahead of them. It is expected that with improving conditions, training and political will, they will deliver.
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Dr. Farhan Zahid earned his PhD in Terrorism Studies from the University of Brussels, Belgium. Dr. Zahid has authored more than 70 research papers and articles, and is a police officer in Pakistan, currently seconded to NACTA.
[1] Text of National Internal Security Policy 2014-18, available at: https://nacta.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/National-Internal-Security-Policy-2014.pdf
[2] National Action Plan
[3] “Pakistan Security Report 2018”, Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies (Jan 2019), Islamabad
[4] Official website of the Punjab police, https://punjabpolice.gov.pk/ctd
[5] Discussions with a CTD official of Punjab police
[6] South Asia Terrorism Portal, www.satp.com
[7] “CTD arrests four militants in Khaneal”, Frontier Post, May 17, 2018, https://thefrontierpost.com/ctd-arrests-four-militants-in-khanewal/
[8] “Six TTP terrorists killed in Gujrat shootout”, News International, May 28, 2018, https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/322269-six-ttp-terrorists-killed-in-gujrat-shootout
[9] “CTD track down four TTP militants”, Dawn, July 6, 2018, https://www.dawn.com/news/1418268
[10] “CTD arrests two terrorists in Bhakkar”, Samaa News, August 25, 2018, https://www.samaa.tv/news/2018/08/ctd-arrests-two-terrorists-in-bhakkar/
[11] “Plot to sabotage defence day foiled”, Nation, September 3, 2018, https://nation.com.pk/03-Sep-2018/plot-to-sabotage-defence-day-foiled
[12] “Three terrorists held in TT Singh”, Daily Times, October 23, 2018, https://dailytimes.com.pk/313478/three-terrorists-held-in-tt-singh/
[13] “ CTD foils terror bid, arrests TTP agent in Rawalpindi”, Pakistan Today, October 26, 2018, https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/10/26/ctd-foils-terror-bid-arrests-ttp-agent-in-rawalpindi/
[14] Discussions with a senior official of CTD Punjab
[15] “AQIS high profile militant held in Karachi”, Dawn, November 20, 2018, https://www.dawn.com/news/1446665
[16] “Two JSMM men held for 2016 attack on Chinese engineers”. News International, April 27, 2018, https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/309584-two-jsmm-men-held-for-2016-attack-on-chinese-engineers
[17] Discussions with CTD Sindh official
[18] Discussions with CTD official of Baluchistan police
[19] Saleem Shahid, “119 killed in terror incidents in Baluchistan last year: IG”, Dawn, January 12, 2019, https://www.dawn.com/news/1457079
[20] Javed Aziz Khan, “72 militants arrested in KP were graduates, postgraduates”, News International, January 13, 2018, https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/267985-72-militants-arrested-in-kp-were-graduates-postgraduates