While much of the media, public, and politicians’ attention in recent days has centred on the attack on one prominent anchor from one prominent media house, the country’s ‘existential war’ against terrorism seems near forgotten. But a deadly reminder came this week in the form of an explosion near a police vehicle in Charsadda, killing three people and leaving over 30, including 14 policemen, injured. While scores of people were at the Tehsil Bazar when the explosion occurred, the target of the attack was clearly the police. Indeed, the attack is being seen as part of a larger campaign against police patrol teams who are visible, who are everywhere and who are not heavily armed - not just in Charsadda but all over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and across the country.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blast, but suspicion has fallen on Pakistani Taliban insurgents who often target law enforcement forces and public places with bombings and shooting attacks. The police are no match for the well-armed, well-trained, battle-hardened militants. Twelve years into the war on militancy, Pakistan’s police are chronically under-funded.
This year’s federal budget gave the military about $6 billion and the police $686 million, a lopsided allocation mirrored in the disbursement of foreign aid.
How many more such attacks will occur before the state decides to take note? For how long will the people of these troubled areas be left to defend themselves in a lop-sided battle they have little chance of winning? At a moment when the Taliban have called off their ceasefire with the government, shouldn’t the state be better prepared for such attacks? For a country in the stranglehold of terrorist violence, the police cannot remain under-equipped and poorly trained. The government can only stamp out terror if it invests in the police.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Pakistan's under-funded Police :Trouble In Charsadda
While much of the media, public, and politicians’ attention in recent days has centred on the attack on one prominent anchor from one prominent media house, the country’s ‘existential war’ against terrorism seems near forgotten. But a deadly reminder came this week in the form of an explosion near a police vehicle in Charsadda, killing three people and leaving over 30, including 14 policemen, injured. While scores of people were at the Tehsil Bazar when the explosion occurred, the target of the attack was clearly the police. Indeed, the attack is being seen as part of a larger campaign against police patrol teams who are visible, who are everywhere and who are not heavily armed - not just in Charsadda but all over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and across the country.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blast, but suspicion has fallen on Pakistani Taliban insurgents who often target law enforcement forces and public places with bombings and shooting attacks. The police are no match for the well-armed, well-trained, battle-hardened militants. Twelve years into the war on militancy, Pakistan’s police are chronically under-funded.
This year’s federal budget gave the military about $6 billion and the police $686 million, a lopsided allocation mirrored in the disbursement of foreign aid.
How many more such attacks will occur before the state decides to take note? For how long will the people of these troubled areas be left to defend themselves in a lop-sided battle they have little chance of winning? At a moment when the Taliban have called off their ceasefire with the government, shouldn’t the state be better prepared for such attacks? For a country in the stranglehold of terrorist violence, the police cannot remain under-equipped and poorly trained. The government can only stamp out terror if it invests in the police.
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