WHILE military forces must be used to address terrorist threats on the battlefield, long-term success against violent extremists necessitates action by civilian law enforcement. However, as a new research points out, provincial counterterrorism departments lack the capacity to appropriately address the terrorist threat. The document, produced by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, identifies major shortcomings in CTD performance. It should be highlighted that ‘capacity building/strengthening of CTDs’ is one of the areas addressed in the new National Action Plan. The current wave of terrorism, which gained speed after the collapse of the truce with the proscribed TTP, has taken a heavy toll on security personnel, with the militant threat particularly acute in KP and Balochistan.
