Re-emergence of terror groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa raises concern, says Pak rights commission

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed concern after the recent killing of four social workers in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reflecting the resurgence of several terror groups, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)

The four social workers were killed by unidentified men on February 22.

The HRCP had condemned the killing of social workers, saying that the “re-emergence of terror groups in the area is a matter of grave concern.”

“HRCP condemns the killing of four women social workers in #NorthWaziristan. The state must bring to book the perpetrators of this heinous crime. The re-emergence of terror groups in the area is a matter of grave concern,” HRCP had said.

According to the local media, the former Federally Administrated Tribal Area (FATA) has seen a constant rise in incidents of attacks on security personnel and government employees in the region.

There have been reports of TTP resurgence in the region. Although FATA has been merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and now officially is part of the province, analysts say the shift in the administration, implementation of the new system and most importantly support from political and security forces have led to the re-emergence of the militant organization.

According to a report published by PIPS, an Islamabad based think-tank, 195 “militant attacks” were conducted in Pakistan in 2020 and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa saw the most attacks. The report further shows that TTP is resurging in the former FATA region and “this time with a new ideology and manifesto.”

In the 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, the US State Department had said that militants and terrorist groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban in Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and the Islamic State Khorasan Province targeted civilians, journalists, community leaders, security forces, law enforcement officers, and schools, killing and injuring hundreds with bombs, suicide attacks, and other forms of violence.

“Throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the newly merged districts, there continued to be attacks by militant groups on security forces, tribal leaders, and civilians. Militant and terrorist groups often attacked religious minorities,” the rights report said.