Over the past nine months, government statistics show, major terrorist attacks have declined 70% and Pakistanis are flocking back to shopping malls. PHOTO: EXPRESS/ FILE
ISLAMABAD: After years of terrorist attacks, military coups and political upheaval, Pakistan for now has settled into a period of relative calm.
“Over the past nine months, government statistics show, major terrorist attacks have declined 70% and Pakistanis are flocking back to shopping malls, resorts and restaurants,” a report carried by Washington Post said on Tuesday.
“The relaxed and optimistic mood in Pakistan was benefiting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif politically,” it said.
“Still, the arrangement is allowing PM Nawaz to do something that Pakistani leaders have struggled to accomplish for much of the past decade: implement a road map for what a peaceful, stable Pakistan could look like. And in the process, the prime minister is winning over sceptics despite his low-key leadership style,” the report maintained.
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According to the report, one year after he was nearly bounced from office, Premier Nawaz has hung on amid signs the country could be on the cusp of a surprising turnaround.
“People are feeling more secure. There are development projects, and the perspective of people is changing to say, ‘Okay, now we can see things are going well,” the US based newspaper quoted Zafar Mueen Nasir, dean of business studies at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics as saying. “Of course, there will always be some criticism and always a second opinion, but as far as I am concerned, this government is at least showing some progress.”
The report referred to last year’s sit-in in the federal capital and said, “But as Islamabad slipped into an unusually chilly fall, Nawaz outlasted the protesters.”
“Now, Nawaz has turned his attention toward trying to rebuild a chronically sluggish economy while also delivering shiny new amenities for residents,” the report added.
Read: What is terrorism and why does it figure here?
It further stated: “It’s a strategy that has become easier to implement this year, as a military campaign in Pakistan’s tribal belt and its largest city, Karachi, has been credited with reducing terrorist attacks and other crimes.”
The report quoting the South Asia Terrorism Portal, which monitors violence, said: “In the first eight months of this year, 680 civilians have been killed in terrorist attacks, compared with 1,194 in the same period last year and 2,246 in 2013.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 9th, 2015.
Thank you Armed forces and General Raheel Especially. Recommend
The war on terror would be a lot ore effective and durable with infuse of the right form of prapoganda. People are God Loving innately. What they are misled into believing by evil people in the guise of Godly people is, that killing unsuspecting people and suicidal attacks are means to achieve Shahadat. Means must be adopted that the common man must intimately understand that dioxide in any form is utterly forbidden in Islam. It is the most henipus form of death. Killing of innocent people is a horrible sin. Recommend
Good work, Pakistan Army and PML-N. Though I am a supporter of PTI, but the recent spate of viable achievements in national interest need to be appreciated by all. Recommend
Good stuff!Recommend
Great!!! But 680 is still a big number.
Karachi is mostly clear now, next stop is Punjab. Hopefully that big number will be reduced to zero by next year!!!!Recommend
Great news for Pakistanis bad news for dharna walas and supporters.Nawaz Sharif you don’t care about what your haters say but for Pakistan which has trusted you and you have not disappointed them either.Roshan Pakistan is rising on the horizon.Recommend
‘South Asia Terrorism Portal’ is a govt of India supported institution. It is a partisan institution. Only the statistics from a truly independent body can be credible. Recommend
I think ET hasn’t even read the article published by Washington Post. It clearly states that: “Over the past nine months, government statistics show, major terrorist attacks have declined 70 percent ..”.
Now if you remember few days back, pakistan newspapers published that govt has suggested 70% decline in terrorist activities. So summarising, Washington Post is publishing pak govt stats and ET is reporting that Washington is saying this. Its like a hoopla now. :)Recommend
Credit solely goes to Raheel SharifRecommend
This is what happens when instituions work within their limits and synchrinize their efforts and support each other. Good job and keep it up.Recommend
In Karachi the terrorism incidents and target killings dropped from an average 8.5 daily to less than two. So the drop is in excess of 70% of national average. Close to a 4 times drop or 400% drop in target killings. Small crimes needed to be curbed also. Recommend
Sooner or later, when the dust settles, we will appreciate nawaz for what he has achieved and for turn around of our economy, for number of power projects he did under CPEC and otherwise. For making international media sit up and take notice of our rising economy. We will appreciate Nawaz for appointing Nisar who revolutionaliZed the civilian security agnecies so that they stood side by side with armed forces and pre-empted countless attacks. In long term Nawaz will be remembered in good words.Recommend
@Fatima: If an Indian institute shows this decline, it means the decline is much higher than the figure of Indian run organization.Recommend
@fact is fact:
Isn’t it the fact don’t you feel it yourself? it’s useless a debate to question the credibility of the source when facts are speaking loud and clear by itself. Recommend
ZERO credit to PML-N or any other Politicians. The honest and dedicated COAS has played the role from the front, to bring back lost Pakistan. These politicians only mean business “corruption business” and never bothered to get the terrorism out of Pakistan. Recommend
Everyday when I hear such news. I really feel bad for how tough it is getting for RAWRecommend
Salute to Pakistan Army. Most of the credit goes to Pakistan Army. We lost lot of sons to bring this peace but still there is a long way to go. Credit also goes to our political leadership for taking the matter seriously. Salute to all our martyrs. Recommend
At least some good news after long time. 70% drop is good, but would love to see 100% decline one day. Also I hope army and govt are aware that cancer strikes back, same way there are sleeper cells, so these people can strike back. Even if entire operation is complete, few more years of strict security is needed to ensure there is no reboundRecommend
@Nawaz: If NS can top all that up by putting paid to the likes of AH and AZ, he will surely figure as one of the best leaders this country has had since Ayub Khan.Recommend
Kind of news we need to hear more…Recommend
If only pakistan had not nurtured these groups in the first place, the entire region would have seen 0 terrorist attacks.Recommend
Its just because of General Raheel. I don’t want to give a single credit to any political party.
Hope General gets an extension for the next 10 Years, at the same time I want General to nab these looters aswell. Pakistan Zindabad!! Pak Fauj Paindabad!!Recommend
This is a good news after a long period. We should not be in debate for whom this credit, but be Pakistani we should be proud to have brave COAS along with his dedicated forces men and also a sensible political force who covered all this process political y. otherwise forces were also present under Pervaiz Musharraf but this cancer of terrorism was spread despite to bring this down.Recommend
The real credit goes to Pakistan Army and RangersRecommend
Indeed ..!!
There’s no doubt to the peace back in whole Pakistan is all from the sacrifices that our armed forces give. Ongoing successful operations in FATA and Waziristan totally breaks the back of the terrorist. I really astonished to know that our armed forces MA breaks this pretty organized network in just two years. But what the NATO’s doing in Afghanistan? I mean it’s been 11 years they didn’t do any thing and now moving back to their homes with such a shameful defeat.
PakistanArmedForceZindabad #PakistanPaindabadRecommend
N League is busy in planting such stories to claim credit. No credit to N league. All this great result because of COAS and Armed Forces of Pakistan. And we are proud of our armed forces.Recommend
@Muhammad:
First you should accept whether comparatively better situation in Pakistan as per this article then you should give credit to anyone whom you like. But if you think that N-league managed to publish this article in Washington Post then what credit you are going to Award to Pak Army. Your comment shows your association with PTI.Recommend