Night Action
08 March 2024
Published in: The Nation
In a swift joint action, the police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) successfully foiled a potential attack on Adiala jail, Thursday night. The success of this pre-emptive action highlights the importance of vigilant security measures. The arrest of three terrorists and seizure of ammunition, grenades, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and inner maps of the jail will help hunt down more rouge persons associated with the planning and executing of this activity.
Attacks on jails by extremists are not new. Back in 2012 and 2013, terrorists attacked Bannu jail and a jail in Dera Ismail Khan respectively. Likewise, similar other small attacks on jails have happened mostly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces and in most cases, it was evident that the attacks were supposed to help some of the inmates escape the prison.
A potential attack on Adiala jail, however, raises questions about the intentions of the attackers. Pakistan’s former Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and Chief Minister of Punjab are imprisoned in Adiala. It is too early to say if the foiled attack had something to do with this until further interrogation is carried out. On the part of the police and the CTD, this was a commendable effort.
The fact that the suspects hailed from Afghanistan adds another layer of complexity to the persistent terror threat, underscoring the need for cross-border cooperation in combating terrorism. The heavy weaponry, that these three terrorists were carrying, indicates that they came intending to inflict serious and brutal damage. High-grade surveillance in and around the jail helped to subdue these terrorists and their dangerous plans. It has also laid bare the penetrability of these elements and once again, the need and relevance of a joint terror combat plan with neighbouring Afghanistan.
But dynamics are complex and the very first condition, that both countries must be willing to initiate an all-out against terrorists, remains half fulfilled. The lack of cooperation from Afghanistan and lack of agreement on certain pending issues blocks the way of any such joint effort. For Pakistan, the high-alert armed forces, CTD, and paramilitary deserve all the credit for continuously battling the rouge factions that have picked up arms against the state.