SECURITY
Dacoit and Militant attacks in Punjab kill 12 policemen and 2 girls; the government approves PKR 20 billion for counter terrorism
On 22 August, about 12 police constables were killed and nine were injured by a rocket attack from dacoits in the Katcha area, near the Punjab-Sindh border. The attack took place when two police vehicles were returning from a police camp area located in the Katcha area. Punjab Inspector General said that a operation was launched in the riverine area, to fight outlaws. There have also been police attacks in the months of July and August which resulted in the death of six policemen. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said: “My team under the supervision of Home Secretary, IG and CTD has been dispatched with clear directions to sort them out decisively,” in a post published on social media platform X. (Irfanul Haq, Asif Chaudhry & Imran Gabol, “11 cops martyred in Katcha area rocket ambush ,” Dawn, 23 August 2024; Sher Ali Khalti, “12 cops martyred in bandit attack in Punjab Katcha area,” The News International, 23 August 2024)

In another attack, in Attock, on 22 August, two persons on a motorcycle opened fire on a school van, killing two girls. President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack, he said: “Targeting innocent chi­­l­­dren is a cruel and sha­­­­meful act.”  (Amjad Iqbal, “Two children killed in Attock school van shooting,” Dawn, 23 August 2024)

On 22 August, the government approved a bill for PKR 20 billion for Operation Azm-i-Isthekam, a counter terrorism and extremism initiative, in a cabinet meeting. The fund breakdown is as follows: PKR 1.95 to Frontier Corps Balochistan for the Reko Din project and PKR 276.25 million to the Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for project implementation letters (PILs). The Operation Azm-i-Isthekam was launched after a National Action Plan meeting. It involves the deployment of Pakistan’s military, diplomatic, legislative and socio economic resources to combat terrorism and extremism.  (Khaled Kiani, “PKR 20 billion allocated for Azm-i-Istehkam,” Dawn, 23 August 2024)

On 23 August, an editorial titled “Attock van attack” in Dawn discussed the The editorial argues that justice should be ascertained if “personal vendetta” results in a crime. However, “innocent children should not become collateral damage” in instances of violence. Additionally, if violence is discovered to be linked to militant elements then “alarm bells” should be rung “within the corridors of power.” The editorial notes that militancy is typically reported in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, especially in tribal districts. It concludes: “A country that cannot protect its most vulnerable will surely face a bleak, unenviable future.”(“Attock van attack,” Dawn, 23 August 2024)