Terror incidents in KP down by 56pc after APS attack

145,000 suspects held in search operations,
snap checking; 1,970 school owners booked

PESHAWAR: The incidents of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have come down by 56 percent while casualties decreased by 58 percent since the gory attack on the Army Public School in December last year, official statistics showed.

The data was compiled by the Central Police Office.The overall law and order situation has witnessed significant improvement during 2015 compared to 2014 that ended with the Army Public School (APS) attack that was the worst in Pakistan’s history. According to the parents of the APS victims, 153 people including 22 teachers and staff members were killed in the attack on December 16, 2014.

Subsequently, the military operation was intensified in the tribal areas while the police search and strike operations were also undertaken under the National Action Plan (NAP that was implemented immediately after the APS attack. Thousands of suspects were rounded up all over the country during these operations.

“More than 145,000 suspects were rounded up during search and strike operations and snap checking by the police under the NAP all over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the current year,” an official told The News. Many of those were later released after they were proved innocent.

Officials said that significant improvement in the law and order situation was witnessed during 2015 if compared with the last several years.

“Compared to the preceding year, terrorist attacks decreased by 56 percent all over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the casualties in such attacks plummeted by 58 percent,” an official said.Moreover, murders and extortions decreased by 52 percent all over the province.

The extortionists, however, have recently started carrying out bomb attacks on the houses of those who refused to pay the extortion money. A few of these incidents were reported from various parts of Peshawar during the last few days.

The number of major terror attacks and suicide bombings has also come down. One of the major attacks was on a mosque inside an imambargah in Hayatabad on February 13. The attackers killed at least 22 worshippers and injured more than 50 others. Threats were also issued to several other places of worship.

The biggest attack in KP during 2015 was on the Pakistan Air Force camp in Badaber, Peshawar on September 18. It resulted in the killing of at least 29 people and injuries to several others. At least 13 attackers had stormed the base in the early morning when the faithful were preparing for the Fajr prayers. Most of the PAF employees were killed inside the mosque while others were targeted when they were preparing for prayers in their barracks.

Special measures were taken to improve the security of schools in the wake of the APS attack. According to the statistics, owners of over 1,970 educational institutions have been booked all over the province for not ensuring adequate security.

Similar action was taken against the management of other places that are being visited by the public.“The owners of 203 bus stands and 10 cinemas were also booked for not adopting security measures under the law passed by the KP Assembly,” said an official.

The official added that 1,695 people had been booked for having fake computerised national identity cards and 1,010 were charged for attesting the documents of the imposters.