Target Killings of Sikhs: Pakistan sees upsurge in terrorism with recent killings of Sikhs, Shias

Islamabad: Pakistan is witnessing a new wave of terrorism with several incidents of target killings of Sikh and Shia minorities reported in the Peshawar region in recent years. In the latest brutal act of terror, two Sikh shopkeepers were shot dead by unidentified assailants last Sunday morning in the Bazaar in Peshawar. After the attack, Peshawar's Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ijaz Khan said, "We are investigating from different angles and it is confirmed that it's an act of terrorism."

However, as per some experts, Pakistan's intelligence community has failed to expand their network to the street and village levels. They only function on an ad-hoc basis while pursuing a reactive doctrine instead of a proactive strategy, reported Pakistan-based media outlet The Frontier Post. There is no single terror case in recent years, which had been neutralized by the Intelligence agencies before its occurrence. Mostly, police investigate the incidents to arrest the culprits after the commencement of the crime.

Moreover, the previous governments in Pakistan also abandoned the execution of the National Action Plan (NAP) which was meant to be put in place to carry out a crackdown on terrorism. This NAP comprehensive document which aimed at regularization of all legal, technical, financial and administrative flaws of the system had been put aside without implementation, as per the media portal. The grip of terror in Pakistan is tightening and the onus is on the Political leadership to ensure full implementation of the NAP. They must work for enduring peace and stability in the country which still seems to be a far-away prospect. CCPO Khan after the targeted killing of two Sikh traders told reporters at the crime scene, that the attack is "an act of terrorism".

According to the Peshawar's CCPO, the gunmen killed one of the victims inside the shop while the second one was shot outside his office. He further added that the assailants were on a motorbike and used the AK-47 rifle. The gunmen managed to escape from the crime scene, as the area was located near the troubled Bara area of Khyber tribal district, according to CCPO. Many incidents like these are lying pending in the abyss but the senior bureaucracy is not interested in laborious work and intends to pass its tenure peacefully.
(ANI)

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