The massacre of at least 11 policemen, and the injuring of three more, in the Kacha area on the Punjab-Sindh boundary in Rahim Yar Khan indicates that the benign neglect of the terrorists, enforced for whatever reason, is now threatening to engulf the whole country. The incident took place in a general area which normally hosts robbers, but which is not too far from an anti-terrorist operation. The Waziristan ex-Tribal Areas are the center of this operation, and they abut Dera Ismail Khan and Dera Ghazi Khan. It is not too far from there to Rahim Yar Khan. The circumstances of the attack do not indicate prior planning, but that the police post from which the policemen were returning was hurting those against whom it was intended. It also indicates a bold and resourceful terrorist commander, who exploited a local development and attacked a police party at its most vulnerable.
It was probably only a matter of time before the terrorists sought refuge in the kutcha, which is the area where criminals have traditionally sought refuge. Unfortunately for law enforcers, the kutcha here coincides with the point at which all four provinces border each other. In recent times, there have been operations against dacoits, but they have only had some success when the military was involved. The problem is that the military is involved in the present operation, and the police cannot carry out the task of dealing with the spillover that seems to have occurred in Rahim Yar Khan. Of course, it should not be forgotten that the area is a steady recruiting ground for the militants, with Maulana Masood Azhar, founder of the Jaish-i-Muhammad being one of the more prominent militants from the area.
It would help if the Punjab police was given the kind of equipment for such operations, but more important is the right training. There should also be a realisation among all stakeholders, that the police are not necessarily doing what they have been trained for, in tackling such terrorists. There is no point handing the terrorists such easy victories just to avoid upsetting some elements who either have a vested interest in preventing an operation, or who are trying to cover up past mistakes. The need for a thorough-going multi-provincial operation has become too pressing to ignore. The recent approval of Rs 60 billion for Azb-i-Istehkam should be increased if it does not include the kutcha in its ambit.
