A DISASTER of considerable proportions was averted on Sunday when a roadside device exploded in Swat as diplomats from a dozen countries were making their way back to Islamabad from the KP district. Though the envoys remained safe, a police vehicle accompanying the convoy was hit by an IED, resulting in the martyrdom of one officer. Considering that such a large number of diplomats — many accompanied by their spouses — was moving through the area, a full probe is in order to determine the facts behind this major security lapse. Among the envoys were the ambassadors of Russia, Iran, Indonesia and Portugal, as well as representatives of other states. The envoys had been invited to the area by the Islamabad and Swat chambers of commerce to highlight the region’s industries. Though the loss of a police officer is tragic, Pakistan would have faced global embarrassment had any of the envoys suffered harm.

Questions remain about who carried out the terrorist act. Till the time of writing no group had claimed responsibility — in fact, the banned TTP denied involvement in the attack. While KP — including Swat — has suffered from attacks by religiously inspired militant groups, it is difficult to fix blame in this case unless a claim or solid evidence of a particular group’s involvement comes to the surface. TTP terrorists had actually held territory in the area in 2007 until they were flushed out in military operations. However, there are fresh reports of militant activity in Swat. For example, locals have protested against terrorist attacks targeting police personnel. Yet it is also true that for the most part, Islamist militants do not attack foreign targets. There are of course exceptions. Chinese nationals, installations and projects have been attacked both by religious militants, as well as Baloch separatists. Therefore, only a transparent probe can unearth the perpetrators behind the Swat bombing. Investigators need to look at all angles; there is also a possibility that hostile foreign actors were involved. As mentioned earlier, the targeting of so many foreign dignitaries would have resulted in massive worldwide humiliation for Pakistan. Therefore, our counterterrorism and counter-intelligence apparatus needs to pre-empt such attacks, and explore how such sensitive information was leaked. Whether such attacks are the handiwork of militants or hostile external forces, the state needs to do a much better job of neutralising violent actors.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2024