Pakistan's law enforcement agencies harnessing their potential to combat terrorism

Abstract

In the aftermath of 9/11, the United States of America embarked upon a massive global hunt for terrorists and launched "Operation Enduring Freedom" in Afghanistan. Owing to its geographical proximity to Afghanistan, Pakistan emerged as an ally of the U.S. in its war against terrorism. Terrorists, having been evicted from Kabul, found the border areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan an idyllic sanctuary to promote future terrorism. During this period, terrorists extended their activities to other parts of Pakistan. At various stages, Pakistan's Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs), Federal and Provincial police, Frontier Constabulary, Levies, Frontier Corps and Rangers, were dovetailed into Pakistani Army operations against terrorists, but their ability to maintain security in their respective areas of responsibility has been questionable. They had neither conducted such operations anywhere in the past, nor were they sufficiently trained and equipped to produce a matching response to the terrorists' inventive and innovative techniques. Notwithstanding the sacrifices of troops employed against terrorists in Pakistan, it is extremely important to objectively review the LEAs' demonstrated training skills and combat worthiness in the country's ongoing counter terrorism campaign. This research focuses on appraising the existing infrastructure of Pakistan's LEAs and their potential to combat the menace of terrorism. Since Pakistan is currently fighting terrorism with the Army in a lead role, this thesis will emphasize the importance of enhancing the capabilities of LEAs other than the military to forestall, prevent, and effectively counter terrorists. The thesis emphasizes that the LEAs of Pakistan are a linchpin in the maintenance of law and order in the country, and their restructuring, training and funding ought to be a priority for the Pakistani government. It also lays down a comprehensive set of requisite and pragmatic recommendations for the up gradation of LEAs, which can transform these law enforcing bodies into an invincible security mechanism against the looming threat of multifaceted terrorism in Pakistan.