Unidentified attackers kidnap two Pakistani customs officials and the president of a local chamber of commerce in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Thursday, degenerating the current security challenges in the region.
The abductions took place in the district of southern Waziristan, an area known for its growing instability in a context of deterioration of security in the region.
According to deputy commissioner Nasir Khan, the incident took place in the Sholam region while the victims returned from Angor Adda.
Kidnapped individuals were identified as the superintendent of customs Nisar Abbasi, Inspector Khushal, and Saif-Ur-Rehman, the president of the Waziristan Chambers of Commerce.
The reason behind the abduction remains uncertain, but the authorities suspect the involvement of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group which has been increasingly active in KP since the collapse of a fragile truce between The Taliban and the Pakistani state in November 2022.
The TTP, as well as other militant groups, targeted security personnel, government representatives and civilians in a series of violent attacks, including targeted murders and kidnappings.
The removal of these officials is the last in a series of incidents that tormented the region. Recently, Dr. Nauman, a worker from Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS), was abducted in the Azam Warsak region in southern Waziristan.
In addition, on January 9, the Pakistani Taliban knothed more than a dozen workers from Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in Lakki Marwat, although some have since been released.
Although no group has claimed the responsibility of the last kidnapping, local authorities increased their suspicion of the involvement of the TTP, because the group is known to target civil servants and civilians. The district administration and the police launched an investigation into the issue.
The sharp increase in activism and kidnappings raised concerns about the deterioration of the KP security situation. Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of having hosted militant groups that operate through the border, intensifying the security challenges of Pakistan.
Afghan officials, however, deny these allegations, saying that the internal security problems in Pakistan should be resolved at the national level.
The authorities continue to work on the resolution of these high -level abductions, but the growing threat posed by militant groups in the region remains an important concern for Pakistan’s security and stability.
