ISLAMABAD — During the recent month of Ramadan, Pakistan experienced the highest incidence of militant attacks within the past ten years, as reported by a research organization on Monday. Historically, some militant factions have opted for a temporary cessation of hostilities during this period, yet an overall uptick in violence has been observed in the country over recent years.
The Pak Institute for Peace Studies noted that there were at least 84 separate attacks throughout Ramadan, which concluded on Sunday in Pakistan. This presents a significant increase from the 26 attacks recorded during last year’s Ramadan. The escalation in aggression is attributed to multiple factors, including the Pakistani Taliban’s decision to unilaterally abandon a ceasefire agreement with the government in November 2022. Moreover, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has augmented its capacity for orchestrating intricate operations.
In one notable incident, the forbidden BLA was implicated in a train hijacking that occurred on March 11 in the southwestern province of Balochistan, resulting in the deaths of a minimum of 25 individuals. Another organization, the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, documented 61 attacks within the first three weeks of Ramadan, surpassing the 60 total assaults observed in the previous year’s Ramadan.
This Ramadan was marked as the deadliest in a decade for security personnel, as 56 were killed between March 2 and March 20. Abdullah Khan, the managing director of the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, pointed out a comprehensive rise in militant operations. He remarked that a convergence of different factions has occurred, with Baloch groups aligning their efforts. In certain regions of the northwest, the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction is proving to be more formidable than even the Pakistani Taliban, engaging in direct competition.
He continued by highlighting a resurgence of proscribed entities such as Lashkar-e-Islam, which operates out of the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan holds neighboring Afghanistan’s Taliban administration responsible for providing refuge to these groups, alleging an expansion of militant influence since the Taliban’s ascension to power in 2021. Kabul, however, counters these accusations.
Khan further attributed part of the problem to intelligence oversights, as evidenced by the shortcomings leading up to the train hijacking in Balochistan, as well as a growing distrust between the state and its citizens. He emphasized the critical need for rejuvenating public support, describing the community as the foremost line of defense against such threats.