Pakistan Since 9 11

3

Pakistan since 9/11

A statistical report of a Decade of the war on terror

CIRCLe

Center for Innovative Research, Collaboration and Learning

www.circle.org.pk

http://www.circle.org.pk/

4

CIRCLe Introduction

The Center for Innovative Research, Collaboration, and Learning (CIRCLe) was established on

October 25, 2010, with an aim of enhancing the understanding of the current socio-political

discourse in Pakistan. CIRCLe focuses on promoting peace, harmony, and tolerance through

deradicalization of the society.

CIRCLe wants to see a religiously harmonious, socially aware, and forward-looking Pakistan,

with the help of an easy to understand language and narrative. Within its purview is an

amalgamation of socio-political research, and advocacy for peace, harmony, and tolerance.

CIRCLe has established a well-equipped resource center for researchers. CIRCLe’s resource

center has hundreds of books, journals, reports, periodicals, and documentaries, on the

subjects of Islam, Sufism, philosophy, politics, international affairs, literature, world

religions, religious extremism, and terrorism. Accessing an exhaustive list of what is

available in CIRCLe’s Resource Center is just a click away on the organization’s website

www.circle.org.pk.

CIRCLe organized a conference on Determining Factors for Eradication of Terrorism in Five

Years, held in Islamabad on February 24, 2011. It has also organized a seminar on the Future

of Pakistan on March 23, 2011, which was addressed by former Foreign Minister of Pakistan,

Mr. Shah Mehmood Qureshi. The reports of both the events are available on CIRCLe’s

website. Besides producing research reports and organizing conferences and seminars,

CIRCLe also maintains a website www.terrorismwatch.com.pk, which is regularly updated

with open source information and analysis about terrorist incidents in Pakistan.

http://www.circle.org.pk/

http://www.terrorismwatch.com.pk/

5

Contents

1. Introduction 6

2. Terrorist Attacks by Regions 10

3. Casualties in Pakistan since September 11, 2001 22

4. Type of Incidents 25

5. Drone Attacks 29

6. Attacks on Educational Institutes 31

7. Attacks on NATO Containers 32

8. Sectarian Violence 34

9. Attacks on Sufi Shrines 36

10. Conclusion 37

6

Introduction:

Pakistan is one of the worst affected

countries since the beginning of the war on

terror. of the incident of September 11, 2001.

Around 37,000 Pakistanis have lost their lives

in the war on terror. If we take a look at the

statistics of the incidents of terrorist attacks

since 9/11 (as shown in Figure 1), it can be

observed that there has been a gradual but

consistent rise in the incidents of terrorist

attacks in Pakistan from 2001 to 2007. From

2007 to 2010, however, the rise in the

terrorist incidents has been exponential.

While several explanations can be given for

such a dramatic rise in the numbers of

terrorist attacks, two important developments

can be considered the leading causes of the

trend. The first development, occurring in

September 2006, was a controversial peace

agreement between the military and the militants based in North Waziristan hosting the

Haqqani Network (HQN) and al-Qaeda (AQ), which greatly strengthened the hand of the

militants by establishing their control in North Waziristan and giving them the opportunity

to extend their influence to other areas as well.

The North Waziristan peace-deal came at a time when the

military was already reached some sort of understanding

with two other groups of militants based in South

Waziristan through the Shakai Agreement of April 2004

(signed with the Ahmadzai Wazir militants) and the Sara

Rogha Argreement of February 2005 (signed with the

Mahsud militants led by Baitullah Mahsud). The North

Waziristan Agreement actually completed the loop for the militants who were given a Carte

Blanche by the security establishment through these successive peace-deals. This propelled

the militant to extend their influence away from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas

(FATA) and into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) at a rapid pace. After the September 2006

peace agreement, the militants quickly established their presence in the Khyber, Kurram

Mohmand, and Orakzai agencies in FATA (they were already present in Bajaur agency along

with North and South Waziristan) as well as several districts of KPK. By the end of 2007, the

militants were actually in almost virtual control of the whole of Malakand Division

comprising of seven districts. The capital of KPK, Peshawar, was literally under siege of the

7

militants in 2007 and 2008. Another important

development occurring in July 2007 that greatly

increased the number of terrorist attacks in the

country was the storming of the Red Mosque in

Islamabad by the Pakistani military because it

was taken over by militants. The whole issue of

takeover of a mosque by the militants right in

the heart of the capital was mismanagement by

the government, owing partly to the political

woes that it was suffering from at the time. It

was evident from as early as February that something extraordinary had started happening

inside the Red Mosque when their vigilante squads of both male and female members

started patrolling and apprehending people, but the government was slow to react. When it

did actually take action, it was an extreme one, resulting in the loss of many lives. To this

day, it is argued that the government has covered up the actual numbers of deaths caused

because of the military assault on the Red Mosque. The situation got so out of control after

the July 2007 happenings that two-times former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto became a

victim of one such attack (which was the second attempt on her life in a row in the same

month) on December 27, 2007, which left its mark on the return of democracy to the

country after a hiatus of about ten years. It is also obvious from Figure 1 that the terrorist

incidents have declined since 2009. The main reason for this was the successful military

operation against the militants in Malakand Division that pushed them out of the region and

inflicted heavy losses on them, besides busting the myth of their invincibility.

8

3 25 10 17 17 42 197427

2193

1549

1033

Year 2001

Year 2002

Year 2003

Year 2004

Year 2005

Year 2006

Year 2007

Year 2008

Year 2009

Year 2010

Year 2011

Number of Incidents

Figure 2 shows the break-up of the terrorist attacks by geographical

region / area. It is obvious from looking at Figure 2 that not a single

province is spared in the last ten years. The KPK and FATA,

however, were the most affected because of the militants operated

from their bases in the two regions. Figure 2 also shows that the

Balochistan saw a large number of terrorist incidents as well. Most

of those terrorist attacks were conducted either by Baloch

separatist groups or sectarian militants involved in Shia-Sunni

violence. While various Taliban factions were not very active in

Balochistan in the past ten years, the situation remained unstable

there, especially after the execution of Nawab Akbar Bugti August 26, 2006. The attacks in

Punjab and Sindh provinces also targeted security installations, government offices, as well

as religious places such as mosques and shrines.

9

Figure 3 shows a comparison of the casualty figures by region in Pakistan. A great number of

people lost their lives across the country. More than 15,000 people were killed in KPK and

FATA alone. The figure also highlights a significant aspect of the pattern of terrorist attacks.

While the terrorist incidents occurring in Punjab are only around 8 percent of the terrorist

attacks in both KPK and FATA, in terms of deaths, Punjab is 18 percent of the casualty figure

of KPK and 19 percent of the casualty figure of FATA. This explains that the attacks in Punjab

were fewer but deadlier. The deadliness of the attacks in Punjab could be attributed to

several factors such as the value of the targets at which the attacks were launched and the

thus the greater level of planning and preparedness for the attacks, the relative difficulty in

launching as great a number of attacks as in KPK and FATA because of the sheer proximity of

the targets in the two regions to militant strongholds, and the participation of the so-called

Punjabi Taliban (the rank and file of the sectarian militant outfits like Lashakar-e-Jhangvi

(LeJ)) who are believed to be more deft at planning and execution of deadlier attacks.

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

Figure 3: Casualties by Region

Total killed

Total Injured

165357

19202184 2022

35 13 22

Figure 2: Incidents by Region

NumerOf Incidents

10

Terrorist Attacks by Region As mentioned in the previous section, terrorist attacks have occurred in all the various

administrative regions of the country in the past ten years. The scale, intensity, and

frequency of the attacks has differed from region to region. Therefore, this section of the

report sums up the numbers of the incidents of terrorist attacks in all the four provinces of

Pakistan as well as FATA and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). The terrorist attacks have

increased consistently in Punjab even in the year 2010 when the overall incidents of

terrorist attacks all across country relatively declined.

11

Table 1

Year Incidents killed injured

Year 2001 1 17 6

Year 2002 8 22 43

Year 2003 3 21 42

Year 2004 5 85 185

Year 2005 2 14 55

Year 2006

Year 2007 8 111 185

Year 2008 9 197 444

Year 2009 46 420 1342

Year 2010 62 309 897

Year 2011 21 26 153

Total 146 1063 3021

12

Table 2 and Figure 5 indicate that Sindh featured pretty low on the priority list of the

terrorists until 2010, a year in which Sindh witnessed a remarkable increase in terrorist

attacks as compared to previous years. Most of the terrorist attacks in Sindh occurred in the

provincial capital Karachi, the two attacks targeting the two times former Prime Minister of

Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, also occurred in Karachi in December 2007 causing massive

casualties. Many incidents in Karachi were also related to political, ethnic, and sectarian

violence and these incidents were on the rise in the current year.

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

Year 2001

Year 2002

Year 2003

Year 2004

Year 2005

Year 2006

Year 2007

Year 2008

Year 2009

Year 2010

Year 2011

Figure 4: Punjab Terror Profile

Incidents killed injured

13

Table 2


Year 2001 1 16

Year 2002 11 45 117

Year 2003 3 12 13

Year 2004 6 63 332

Year 2005 2 9 39

Year 2006 3 63 257

Year 2007 2 151 550

Year 2008 6 36 60

Year 2009 30 68 190

Year 2010 111 238 466

Year 2011 186 899 595

Total 361 1584 2635

14

As mentioned in the previous section, political, ethnic, and sectarian violence were amongst

the reason of a majority of incidents in Balochistan in the last ten years. The number of

incidents kept increasing with consistency, however, as shown in Table 3 and Figure 6. A

remarkable increase in the terrorist attacks—mostly by the Baloch separatists—occurred

especially in the last three years after the death of Nawab Akbar Bugti, former Chief

Minister of the province, at the hands of the state.

0

200

400

600

800

1000

Year 2001

Year 2002

Year 2003

Year 2004

Year 2005

Year 2006

Year 2007

Year 2008

Year 2009

Year 2010

Year 2011

Figure 5: Sindh Terror Profile


15

Table 3

Year Incidents Killed Injured

Year 2001 1 5 2

Year 2002 3 5

Year 2003 2 66 65

Year 2004 7 78 217

Year 2005 3 61 112

Year 2006 18 208 82

Year 2007 22 123 132

Year 2008 24 191 91

Year 2009 792 386 1070

Year 2010 737 590 1102

Year 2011 311 739 821

Total 1919 2451 3694

16

The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhua (KPK) was on top in terms of number of incidents and

casualties. The number of terror attacks suddenly increased after 2005 and kept escalating

until 2010 as shown in Table 4 and Figure 7. The sudden hike in the terrorist attacks from

2006 onward can be attributed to the same two factors highlighted earlier in the report.

More than Seven thousand people were killed in more than 2,000 attacks in KPK.

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Year 2001

Year 2002

Year 2003

Year 2004

Year 2005

Year 2006

Year 2007

Year 2008

Year 2009

Year 2010

Year 2011

Figure 6: Balochistan Terror Profile


17

Table 4


Year 2001

Year 2002 3 22 19

Year 2003

Year 2004

Year 2005

Year 2006 8 210 156

Year 2007 65 886 774

Year 2008 266 3087 1687

Year 2009 1137 1439 3616

Year 2010 459 836 1832

Year 2011 227 639 778

Total 2162 7097 8843

18

A large number of casualties occurred in the last ten years in FATA as well, particularly from

2005 to 2011.There were terrorist attacks in almost every agency. Besides terrorist attacks,

Security forces operations and the clashes between different tribes also made the situation

of FATA unstable. CIA-operated pilotless drones have launched several attacks in the FATA

in the past 6 years to take out al-Qaeda and pro-Taliban militants believed to be hiding in

FATA. There were also attacks from the across the border by the Afghan Taliban and Afghan

Security forces. The NATO forces also violated the airspace of Pakistan a number of times

and the ground troops also conducted operations inside Pakistan’s tribal areas on a few

occasions. See Table 5 and Figure 8 for details about the year-wise timeline of the attacks.

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Year 2001

Year 2002

Year 2003

Year 2004

Year 2005

Year 2006

Year 2007

Year 2008

Year 2009

Year 2010

Year 2011

Figure 7: KPK Terror Profile


19

Table 5


Year 2001

Year 2002

Year 2003 1 14 20

Year 2004 3 34 27

Year 2005 3 43 5

Year 2006 12 113 50

Year 2007 94 1482 743

Year 2008 118 1394 751

Year 2009 695 1713 869

Year 2010 720 904 1433

Year 2011 376 1658 1144

Total 2019 7352 5042

20

The capital of Pakistan also became the victim of terrorist attacks in last ten years .It is the

most sensitive and high security zone of the country .The motive of the militants were to

attack the high value targets located in the capital such as government officials and the

foreign missions. There was total number of 35 incidents out which 16 attacks were the

suicide attacks. After 2009 the number of incidents in the capital decreased.

0200400600800

10001200140016001800

Year 2001

Year 2002

Year 2003

Year 2004

Year 2005

Year 2006

Year 2007

Year 2008

Year 2009

Year 2010

Year 2011

Figure 8: FATA Terror Profile


21

Table 6


Year 2001

Year 2002

Year 2003 1 5

Year 2004

Year 2005 1 26 100

Year 2006

Year 2007 7 127 310

Year 2008 5 100 305

Year 2009 10 30 72

Year 2010 6 15 35

Year 2011 5 3 10

Total 33 275 732

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Year 2001

Year 2002

Year 2003

Year 2004

Year 2005

Year 2006

Year 2007

Year 2008

Year 2009

Year 2010

Year 2011

Figure 9: Islamabad Terror Profile


22

Casualties in Pakistan since September 11, 2001:

The total number of people killed since September 11, 2001 is more than thirty seven

thousand. September 2001 to September 2002 there were total 76 casualties and it

continued to increase every year. In the year of 2009 about twelve Thousand people were

killed in Pakistan. From September 2010 to September 2011 more than sex thousand people

have killed.

76 145 484784

1515

1803

5235

11140

9592

6400

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

Figure 10: Casualties from Sep. 11, 2001 to Sep. 11, 2011

Casualties

23

September October November December January February March April May June July August Sep-11 Total

2001-02 0 17 5 0 0 0 5 0 22 16 1 10 76

2002-03 7 0 5 10 7 22 1 1 7 18 63 4 145

2003-04 10 31 2 23 4 3 117 12 45 121 53 63 484

2004-05 176 153 96 20 39 17 95 10 70 9 74 25 784

2005-06 89 58 25 137 165 106 331 193 87 102 113 109 1515

2006-07 24 132 91 13 71 47 310 277 81 43 478 236 1803

2007-08 312 537 728 438 654 245 204 121 128 218 403 1247 5235

2008-09 1215 1057 757 466 564 677 406 518 2024 1754 982 720 11140

2009-10 850 1374 1060 775 602 500 706 790 1027 714 874 320 9592

2010-11 548 399 449 506 441 322 524 592 521 635 776 592 95 6400

Total 3231 3758 3218 2388 2547 1939 2699 2514 4012 3630 3817 3326 37174

Table: Casualties

Types of Casualties:

Comparing the causalities type it clear that civilians suffered right from 2001 and it

increased year by year. In year 2009, 2324 civilians were killed and about 8000 militant died.

The large number of militant’s casualties was the result of Security Forces continues

operation and inter-tribal clashes.3911 security forces personnel have been killed since

9/11/2001.Out of which 991 security forces personnel were killed in a year of 2009.Total

37214 people in Pakistan have been killed after 9/11/2001.

24

Table: Casualties 1

Table: Casualties

Year Civilians Security Forces Militants Total

Year 2001 21 1 0 22

Year 2002 66 3 2 71

Year 2003 140 24 25 189

Year 2004 435 184 244 863

Year 2005 430 81 137 648

Year 2006 608 325 538 1471

Year 2007 1522 597 1479 3598

Year 2008 2155 654 3906 6715

Year 2009 2324 991 8389 11704

Year 2010 1796 469 5170 7435

Year 2011 2187 582 1729 4498

Total 11684 3911 21619 37214

Casualties

Civilians31%

Security forces11%

Militants58%

Figure 12: Type of Causalities

25

Type of Incidents: There were huge numbers of incidents which resulted the loss of many innocent people in

last decade. There were huge numbers of terrorist attacks which include suicide attacks,

bomb blasts, hand grenade attack, rocket attack land mine blast. Huge collateral damage

was done in last decade particularly in last five years. Militants attacked schools and colleges

in different cities of Pakistan. Mean while gas pipelines, electric transmission lines and

telephone exchanges also came under attack. The containers supplying oil and other goods

to the NATO forces in Afghanistan were also attacked. About 350 such incidents occurred in

past ten years.

Table: Table: Type of Incidents

Type Of Attack 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 Total

Sucide Attack 35 68 87 54 45 7 4 7 2 2 311

Bomb blasts 130 500 530 32 19 11 7 7 1 8 1 1246

Target Killings 305 280 48 23 3 5 3 6 12 2 687

Rocket/Hand Genade Attack 48 219 13 5 1 1 1 288

Drone Attacks 42 135 51 31 1 260

Land Mine Balsts 22 11 9 2 4 3 1 1 53

Attack On SF 96 21 28 6 4 155

Attack On Educational Insitutes 50 163 150 1 364

Attacks On Nato Oil Tankers 123 146 30 3 302

Attacks on Gas Lines 41 41

Attack on Railway Tracks 12 1 13

Attack on Telephone Exchnage 14 14

Cross Border attack by Indian Army 3 39 7 49

Cross border Attack by the Millitants 18 24 15 2 2 61

SF Operation against Militants 45 260 596 188 52 7 1 1 1150

NATO jets Airsapce voilation 2 3 1 6

Inter Tribe Clashes 46 214 217 33 19 2 531

Total 1032 1549 2193 438 197 42 19 23 10 25 3 5531

26

Suicide Attacks:

More than three hundred suicide attacks were reported in Pakistan since 2001.4,771 people

were killed in those attacks across different areas in Pakistan. These suicide attacks targeted

mosques, shrines, markets, security forces buildings, hotels and restaurants. 87 suicide

attacks occurred in year 2009 which killed 949 people.

27

Table: Suicide Attacks

Suicide Attacks

Year No of Attacks Killed Injured

Year 2001

Year 2002 2 19 58

Year 2003 2 69 103

Year 2004 7 89 321

Year 2005 4 84 219

Year 2006 7 161 352

Year 2007 45 765 1677

Year 2008 54 893 1846

Year 2009 87 949 2356

Year 2010 68 1166 1986

Year 2011 35 576 1068

Total 311 4771 9986

2 2 7 4 7

4554

87

68

35

Year 2001

Year 2002

Year 2003

Year 2004

Year 2005

Year 2006

Year 2007

Year 2008

Year 2009

Year 2010

Year 2011

Figure 12: Suicide Attacks Since 9/11/2001

No of Attacks

28

Suicide Attacks

All the provinces of Pakistan faced these deadly suicide attacks. About half of the total

attacks occurred in KPK.2125 people were killed in 156 suicide attacks in KPK. Suicide

attacks targeted major cities of Punjab, Sindh, FATA and Balochistan.

Suicide Attacks

19 69 89 84 161

765 893 9491166

576

58 103321 219 352

16771846

23561986

1068

Year 2001

Year 2002

Year 2003

Year 2004

Year 2005

Year 2006

Year 2007

Year 2008

Year 2009

Year 2010

Year 2011

Figure 13: Causalities in Suicide Attacks in Pakistan Since 9/11/2011

Killed Injured

4213

12

156

53

162

Figure 14: Number of Suicide Attacks

Number of Attacks

29

Suicide Attacks

Drone Attacks:

American led drone strikes started in Pakistan started in 2005.Till now there have been total

261 drone strikes which have killed 1939 people .There have been different reports on the

types of causalities in these drone strikes. Some report the killing of civilians and other

report the killing of militants. Drone attacks also targeted some of the prominent leaders

but there were also some attacks where they targeted the local tribesmen. Drone strikes

were paced up in 2008 .in 2010 only 135 missiles were fired by the drones.

42 13 12 156 53 16 2869

337 213

2125

859279

5

2508

1325385

3950

1301

6143

Figure 15: Causalities in Suicide Attacks in Diffrent Areas of Pakistan

Number of Attacks Killed Injured

30

Drone Attacks

Drone Attacks

Major targeted area of the drones was FATA; while only one attack on the district of Bannu

in KPK was reported .Drone missiles targeted every agency of FATA accept Mohamand

Agency. The mostly effected area was Waziristan. North Waziristan (believed to be the

headquarters of the dreaded Haqqani Network) received 150 strikes while drone missiles

strike 30 times at South Waziristan.


Year 2005 1 1 0

Year 2006 0 0 0

Year 2007 1 20 15

Year 2008 31 156 17

Year 2009 51 536 75

Year 2010 135 831 85

Year 2011 42 395 46

Total 261 1939 238

1 0 1 31 51135

421 0 20

156

536

831

395

0 0 15 1775 85

46

Year 2005 Year 2006 Year 2007 Year 2008 Year 2009 Year 2010 Year 2011

Figure 16: Drone Attacks

Incidents Killed Injured

31

Drone Attacks

Attacks on Educational Institutes:

Militants attacked many schools and colleges in past decade particularly in last 3 years.

There 373 attacks on educational institutes >most of such incidents occurred in the localities

of FATA and KPK.In KPK Swat, Peshawar,Nowshera were the major cities where schools

were blown up .while in FATA Khyber agency ad Bajaur agency were the major agencies

where schools were blown up.

15030 4 3 2 1 1

1359

394

61 46 45 4 12173

13

North Waziristan

Agency

South Waziristan

Khyber Agency

Kurram Agency

Bajaur Agency

Bannu Orakzai Agency

Figure 17: Drone Attacks in PakistanAttacks Killed Injued

32

Attacks on Educational Institutes

Attacks on Educational Institutes

Attacks on NATO Containers:

NATO containers were repeatedly attacked in Pakistan since 2008.There was more than 200

incidents related to attacks on NATO containers occurred across the country. From the last

two year the attacks are increasing as they are the easy target for the militants.

Year Number Of Attacks

Year 2009 150

Year 2010 163

Year 2011 60

Total 373

150163

60

Year 2009 Year 2010 Year 2011

Figure 18: Number Of Attacks on Educational Insitutes

Number Of Attacks

33

Attacks on NATO Containers


Most of the attacks on NATO containers were occurred in Balochistan. In last three years

130 incidents related to NATO containers .While such attacks continually occurred in FATA

and KPK .There were also such incidents from some areas of Punjab and Sindh.


825

9981

Year 2008 Year 2009 Year 2010 Year 2011*

Figure 19: Nummber of attacks on NATO Supplies

Number Of Attacks

Year Number Of Attacks

Year 2008 8

Year 2009 25

Year 2010 99

Year 2011* 81

Total 213

Province Number of Attacks

Punjab 8

Balochistan 130

FATA 42

KPK 29

Sindh 4

Total 213

34


Sectarian Violence:

Sectarian violence has been the problem of Pakistan for many years but after 9/11/2001 it

increased. Every year there were hundreds of people who have become victim to the

sectarian killings. Most of sectarian violence was the results of dispute between Shia and

Sunni community.

4%

61%

20%

13%

2%

Figure 20: Attacks on NATO supplies in Pakistan

Punjab Balochistan FATA KPK Sindh

35

Sectarian Violence

Year Killed Injured

Year 2001

Year 2002 1

Year 2003 65 66

Year 2004 88 272

Year 2005 35 123

Year 2006

Year 2007 85 156

Year 2008 100 248

Year 2009 277 671

Year 2010 274 408

Year 2011 132 242

1 65 88 35 85 100277 274

13266272

123 156248

671

408242

Year 2001

Year 2002

Year 2003

Year 2004

Year 2005

Year 2006

Year 2007

Year 2008

Year 2009

Year 2010

Year 2011

Sectarion voilence in Pakistan Since 9/11/2001

Killed Injured

36

Year Number Of Shrines Attacked

2005 2

2006 1

2007 2

2008 3

2009 5

2010 18

2011 5

Total 36

2 1 2 3 5

18

5

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Timeline of Attacks on Shrines in Pakistan

Series2

105

940

19 11 25

319

75

1536

15

100

Casualities in Attacks on Shrines In Pakistan

Killed Injured

Attacks on Sufi Shrines:

Terrorist also attacked shrines of Sufis across the country. Attacks on shrines started in 2005

and they increased every year. The number of attacks had a sudden increase in 2010 in

which 18 shrines were attacked .Total 36 shrines were attacked across the country.

Attacks on Sufi Shrines

37

Conclusion: Pakistan has remained a battleground of the war on terror

for the past ten years and it has taken its toll on the people

of the country as well as its state, society, and economy.

While Pakistan has received some foreign assistance, the

amount of aid Pakistan has received from foreign

governments does not do justice to the enormous sacrifices

rendered by the nation for fighting for a global cause. On

the contrary, Pakistan has been accused several times of being ‘unable or unwilling’ to ‘do

more’ for stopping the terrorists from launching attacks across the border in Afghanistan or

elsewhere in the world. The sheer numbers of the terrorist attacks in Pakistan that are

unparalleled anywhere else in the world speak volumes about the scale of the terrorist

threat and the resistance that Pakistan has to actually deal with when carrying out military

operations against the terrorists.

The armed forces of Pakistan have conducted several

successful military operations against the terrorists; the

most recent ones being in Malakand region of the

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and South Waziristan in the

Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Even after

the successful military operations in several areas of the

country, the terrorists have retained the capacity to

regroup and reorganize for a variety of reasons. First, the Pakistan army is not trained for

counter-insurgency operations and when it goes after the militants, it can engage them in

battles only if they show resistance. It is mostly observed that when the militants find the

military coming to hunt them down with full might in a particular area, they disband and

escape someplace else, allowing themselves time to regroup for battle at a later stage. This

brings us to the second point concerning the resilience of the terrorist groups, that is, their

capacity to assimilate into civilian populations without detection. Third, as long as there are

foreign forces across the border in Afghanistan, the terrorists have a reason to rally people

in their support in the name of jihad.

Lasting peace in Afghanistan as well as improving the military, intelligence, law and order,

and administrative capacity of the Pakistan government would thus be key to lasting success

against militancy and terrorism in Pakistan. For this, the international community will have

to fulfill its obligations with respect to Afghanistan as well as help Pakistan recover from the

huge losses it has suffered because of the war on terror and its consequences.

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