Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police resources pale in comparison with Tehreek-e-Taliban’s amid rising targeted attacks on police officials by the militants.
On February 17th, three militants from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) stormed into Karachi police headquarters, leading to an hour-long operation. During the operation, three militants were killed while two policemen, one Rangers official, and a civilian embraced martyrdom.
Earlier, a blast in Peshawar mosque inside a police compound claimed the lives of more than 60 people. The TTP claimed responsibility for one of the deadliest blasts in the city. Last month a police station in Peshawar was also targeted, resulting in three deaths. Meanwhile, the day after the deadly Peshawar attack, Punjab police thwarted an attack on a police station in Mianwali.
According to a report by Reuters, the banned TTP is targeting Pakistan’s military and police while using sophisticated weapons, including weapons from the stock left behind by Western forces when they exited Afghanistan in 2021. TTP is supported by the Taliban-led Afghan government.
In comparison, police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa not only lack manpower but are also not equipped with sophisticated weapons, which could be considered at par with the TTP’s resources. The Taliban also have access to thermal goggles, making it easier for them to conduct operations at night. However, police stations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have power outages, making it difficult for them to charge those goggles even when they were provided with a few.
