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IED smuggling and use on rise in Pakistan
Prompt security measures on Pak-Afghan border urged
By Ghani Kakar
2010-08-20
QUETTA - Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) smuggled via the Pakistani-Afghan border are contributing to a climate of fear and have become the deadliest insurgent weapon against civilians in Pakistan.
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![Vehicles burn after an IED explosion adjacent to Liaqat Park Quetta, October 27, 2008, killed three and wounded 15 others. IED assaults are on the rise in Balochistan. [Ghani Kakar]](/shared/images/2010/08/20/PakIED-218_172.jpg)
Vehicles burn after an IED explosion adjacent to Liaqat Park Quetta, October 27, 2008, killed three and wounded 15 others. IED assaults are on the rise in Balochistan. [Ghani Kakar]
![Vehicles burn after an IED explosion adjacent to Liaqat Park Quetta, October 27, 2008, killed three and wounded 15 others. IED assaults are on the rise in Balochistan. [Ghani Kakar]](/shared/images/2010/08/20/PakIED.jpg)
“We have collected data showing that most IED explosions took place in populated areas, causing the largest number of civilian casualties,” human rights activist Niamat Khan told Central Asia Online.
IED attacks on business and population clusters disrupt economic life and have caused millions in damage to water, electrical and security infrastructure, he added.
“Insurgents operating in the country use those IEDs and suicide jackets mostly made from smuggled, unexploded Soviet ordnance”, intelligence sources said.
The IED threat keeps growing in Pakistan, as insurgents have begun preferring them to guns.
"Apparently in Balochistan, South Waziristan and in other tribal areas, militants are frequently using IEDs against military or government targets, but often carried out in crowded areas with obvious heed for the wide injury and death they cause to civilians," said intelligence sources.
Though there is no exact official or non official data of casualties caused from the explosions of IEDs in Pakistan, the Ikhlas Social Trust (IST) collected some data showing that casualties caused from IEDs is on the rise.
“The growth in casualties caused by improvised explosive devices worries Pakistan and the data we collected from media and some other sources shows that the IEDs explosions caused 70% of casualties from the year 2002 to 2010,” M. Hanif, an IST official, said.
Most of the IEDs were planted and used by militants and 907 IEDs events were reported in Baluchistan in the past eight years, he said.
A lack of border security has enabled explosives smugglers to operate “without any fear or hindrance both in Pakistan and Afghanistan,” senior political and defence analyst Dr. Hassan Askari Rizvi told Central Asia Online.
"It is a joint responsibility of both Pakistan and Afghanistan to ensure prompt security measures on the border,” Askari said.
“Without cutting off the miscreants’ IED route, no (security) goal can be achieved.”
“The country is more insecure than it’s been for a long time,” he said. “These internal weaknesses expose Pakistan to external intervention.”
“Political violence and terrorism are the other most serious threats to Pakistan’s internal harmony and external role,” he continued.
“These factors have bent dangerous circumstances for national security than the threats coming from outside Pakistan.”
Pakistan is responsible for its domestic instability, defence analyst and former Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan Rustam Shah Mohmand told Central Asia Online.
“Pakistan must do more to disrupt and dismantle terrorist and other criminal organisations involved in making IEDs. This should involve multilateral engagement, regulatory measures, training and technological efforts and building border control capacity,” Mohmand said.
Intelligence sources said outside countries are sending some explosives and weapons to Pakistani militants, too.
“We have foiled several bids to smuggle explosives to Pakistan through the Pak-Afghan border and seized several tons of high explosive in different parts of Balochistan,” Deputy Inspector General of Police Balochistan Investigation Qazi Abdul Wahid told Central Asia Online.
Smuggled materials help militants “prepare suicide jackets, explosive-laden vehicles and other sorts of bomb,” he added. The same “anti-peace elements are also training insurgents,” he added, not just supplying hardware.
As a result, insurgents have shown technological sophistication.
“The IEDs used by rebels in Balochistan are mostly detonated by a transmitter like a Nokia phone or a hand-held radio, while others are ignited by … washing machine timers,” said Imtiaz Ahmed, a former official of bomb disposal Squad Balochistan.
“Security forces lack the equipment to locate IEDs and so far have been unable to halt such attacks,” he added.
“There is an immense need for Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asian countries to scrutinise and regulate the production, sale, transport and use of ammonium nitrate fertiliser as well … since most militants use it to build IEDs and other bombs,” he said.
The Afghan side pleads poverty.
“Our government banned ammonium nitrate’s use as a fertiliser, and we all have orders to crack down on its production, supply and sale,” said Ahad Khan Adozai, a senior Afghan border guard officer at Spin-Boldak, but he said Afghanistan lacks the resources to cope with IEDs.
“Pakistan should do its part to cut off its smugglers from the supply of ammonium nitrate,” he said.
“IEDs have become the main weapon used by insurgents on the Afghan border. … We need the latest counter-IED capacity.”
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Reader Comments
THE government is only for eating n enjoying......... So, the common people are doing their diutes
pakistan is our mother place and love our mother always
ur right
one thing i didn;t understand that at one side pakistani govt is blaming india for its involvement in Baluchistan and claiming that india is supporting rebels in balochistan and on other hand it said will initiate talks with balochs how is it possible. the reports shows that in balochistan thousands of Iieds were used by baloch militants against pakistani army and general masses.the question is where did they get these explosives and then made ieds if india is doing so , then what the security agencies in pakistan are doing over there.Have they give free hand to all such elements in pak afghan border ? or they have been failed to secure its treaty ? I my self observed that one day i visited chaman for a kind of some shoping where i witnessed the security men getting money from every person coming from afghnaistan and there was no check for those which provided them money , through your report I suggest Pakistani officials to please take it serious it is not so simple one day it will create an unbeatable challenge for the
I would like to say that Zardari should quit.
GEO AUR GENAY DO.GEO PAKISTAN GREAT NEWS CHANNEL
Salam! I am from Pakistan. I want to convey this message to Mr. Zardari that a city of Pakistan has lost everything in floods. He should make the city of Nawabshah such a model that people stop going to Karachi and instead Karachi people start coming to Nawabshah. Please acknowledge receipt of my message
I want to say to Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan, that please take care of Pakistani people. Inflation is sky rocketing and the poor man is unable to survive. A poor man has no life. They have no jobs or other facilities of life.
i appriciate.... doing good effort.. best of LUCK
Yes, I am in search of a job. Please help me finding one.
think whats going on in pakistan. n we r just taking rest. our nation, our country, our economy al is going down.
You have written a superb article. Our prayers are with you.
hi salamzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz how r u
i appreciate ur report which will play as a piece of information to combat the smuggler .i also expect other reports on other issues .
good job & i whish u succed in ur life keep moving & God bless u.
the topic is well narrated and research is great as for as the intentions are concerned however i dont agree with the views that pakistan Defence team is not working properly. the fact is that within limited resources our Defence is incredible, unfortunatrely some blacksheeps are playing havoc with the system. but mind you this ciountry is neither Afghanistan nor Iraq, IEDs are specifically made inorder to undermine the prosperity of our nation,and these illvisioned persons are not going to succeed.
government should resolve their inner disputes for the prosperity and advancement of our country \"PAKISTAN\". Government should not depend on other countries and should not beg for debt.
good kakar. buck up
Don’t destroy Pakistan. Please help bringing peace in the country. Thanks.
Salam! I am from Pakistan. I want to convey this message to Mr. Zardari that a city of Pakistan has lost everything in floods. He should make the city of Nawabshah such a model that people stop going to Karachi and instead Karachi people start coming to Nawabshah. Please acknowledge receipt of my message.
I think one day terrorists will get a nuclear weapons if such lack of security measures
no
Your article is very good. Please write something on target killings in Karachi as well, if possible.
Pakistan seriously need an effective strategy and capacity to counter \'IEds,considering it\'s lethality and impact on civilian as well as on our security forces.No doubt,enormous resources and scientific approach is required to counter the smuggling.This is not an easy task,without getting into the mind of enemy any counter intelligence operation would disastrously be a failure.It seems that enemy is reading our mind our capacity of dealing with them,while we still lack ability and resources to penetrate,check and assess the modus operandi of miscreants.We must develop a strategy and capacity (an offensive defense strategy)to foil such attempts made by miscreants.If they are being smuggled in from across the border,and if we have credible evidence and information of explosives being smuggled in from Afghanistan,we should go to any limit in the greater national interest,even if we have to neutralize them in Afghanistan.If the Afghan govt does not take up this very serious concern of Pakistan in cutting off the explosive smuggling,Pakistan needs to take all possible measures and available resources to counter them within their territory,from where it is being smuggled in to Pakistan.
I guess Pakistan is playing double game therefore this threats become more an more bigger
Terrorism is the result of our previous policies due to which it is spreading in this region.
Well I found this story very visionary and realistic and it deserve appreciation in all manners because of its comprehensive strategy .the first line attract me to read it completely .I think you people are working great for the peace .Pakistani official are blaming afghan nationals for the smuggling of such bombs but I am not agree with them because they are chewing the facts. How is it possible that such bid took place in a very easy way what are they (Pakistani 0fficials) doing .At least the biggest part of every news financial year budget spent on defense and if they did not meet this challenge so I must say they are disable. And one thing being a citizen of this bad luck state I observe is .there is no law for lawmakers but just for poor and backless masses run through law. The biggest criminal is head of the state who’s wife killed during his govt and yet he is either not able do held the accused or second he has involvement in that murder therefore he is hiding the facts from its nation. I humbly request top officials through your esteemed Central Asia online that please look for the future of this country not your aims hope you will include my comments without sencering.
good efforts to educate people , this could have been more benifictual if the article should have been supported by some photograph of IEDs generally used by the miscreants.As long as rit / authority of the government we all can well appreciate how sinser they are to protect poor pakistani nation.God bless Pakistan &PAKISTANI NATION.
this is really strange that pakistan is the only country of todays world that at least having all resources it remain fails to cop terrorism made by its own role in the region.I think it happens due the the corrupt and disabled ppp govt
hey dude good story,keep it up
without involvment of security personnel explosive could not be easily smuggled.I think first need is to search out those which are assisting such elements from officila side.Pakistani nation is in a big sucurity threat.I praise your this report for its comprehensive standard and wish you all the best .Please keep writting on such massive important issues it woyuld depenatly support the peace cause
We salute you on this initiative.
one thing i didn;t understand that at one side pakistani govt is blaming india for its involvement in Baluchistan and claiming that india is supporting rebels in balochistan and on other hand it said will initiate talks with balochs how is it possible. the reports shows that in balochistan thousands of Iieds were used by baloch militants against pakistani army and general masses.the question is where did they get these explosives and then made ieds if india is doing so , then what the security agencies in pakistan are doing over there.Have they give free hand to all such elements in pak afghan border ? or they have been failed to secure its treaty ? I my self observed that one day i visited chaman for a kind of some shoping where i witnessed the security men getting money from every person coming from afghnaistan and there was no check for those which provided them money , through your report I suggest Pakistani officials to please take it serious it is not so simple one day it will create an unbeatable challenge for them.
brilliant your work central asia online ,your efforts for peace and harmony in the region are highly appreciated .I only want to add these few word that the Ied threat could only be meet in a condition when it would be get in a joint challenge for all .
You are right to some extent but we need to look at the basic cause of this i.e. wrong policies and servitude to others.
Ghani good work , i think pakistan need special Counter-IED well qualified unit too work on this specific threat
I am not agree with these pakistan officlas claims that through Afghanistan thewir country is receiving explosives ,it is itself the innvention of pakistan and all militants using these explosives for homemade bombs ,
I think the iED is one of the biggest threat for Pakistani security agencies just because of they have no such advance security mechanism and that is the one and only reason that nowadays civilian casualties on rise round the country from it, especially ion Baluchistan baloch populated areas where in rebels assaults on military men such ieds are using
Great work kakar sb all the best
Could you provide a link to the Ikhlas Social Trust (IST)? I\'d be interested in learning more about the data collected on IEDs. Many thanks
Good report Kakar sb i think these problems are compounded by the situation in Pakistan itself and yet the army and government have not shown the complete details on military operations or a meaningful assessment of the growth of this threat inside Pakistan \" the expansion of Islamist extremist influence and control in the FAta along the Afghan-Pakistan border in the east is now a huge problem for all and i guess it is clear that this region has become the center of Al Qa’ida operations and all ieds technology comes here from that part to militants
Goo job ghani,Ieds and its production in our sweet homeland is really a major threat for all the nation govt should pay prior attention to this serious matter
still the world need to enhance the progress over this tough challenge,kakar sahib i deeply appreciate you work on this report please keep writing on such important issues and i hope our local media would also focus the same.
In my very humble opinion, we need sincrity with our nation nothing else otherwise it will cut all our nation from a secure life which is their most demand of todays life.IEDS technology is now in access of all miscreant and militants , the main stuffe required here is to aware the nation and defeat the enemy from routside
God bless you all for such a nice reproting.
first of all i praise your good work central asia online that you are playing great role for highlighting such masses favor reports,hope you will add my comment as under .............................................. In balochistan chief minister is directly supporting miscreants and terrorists and he is running his governmnet with the help of such elements.BLA BRA, BRP ,etc all such antistate pakistan gangs are using ieds in a large number against civil population but he is criminaly silent and I request you all please pay attention on this matter and get end these gangsters that peace be ensure here and it is on record that the most homemade bombs were used here in whish hundreds of casualties happend.thanks
Keep up this good work. If the terrorists are on the defense, they\'ll be on the run rather than out hunting human beings to kill. If the terrorists are looking over their shoulders, they\'ll be less likely to be planting bombs in public places.
mr writter i appreciate you work , I guess in ieds muggling to pakistan India has a massive role and sending IEDS and explosive mattarials in pakistan , I rememeber that in many raids pakistan officials had recovered indian made ieds from suspected militant bases near the Razmak area of South Waziristan and in related areas whish were flashed in media as well in my openion this is the route of such crime and for stopping it we should take actions and make sure not dsitured other countries as well.
Perfect story like it,I think without involvment of officials no one could easily smuggle explosives it is a war of official supported gangs. first they need to be smashed then its general supply could be stopped through your department i wasnt to suggust pakistani top officials to please tackle this issue with priority becouse it is really now made a gig threat for all us
welldone kakar,briliant work
I am completly agree with mr mohmand, the route of all crimes and terrorist activities spreaded in pakistan due to ex president musharraff his decission made pakistan a fail state.If he get the nation in confidence for taking any decission so now the country will never be in such a critical condition and neither the militancy would be in such a rise .I thougt the fault second goes to our entire nation that they did not struuggle for their rights.thanks for a touching report on pakistan central asia online.
I want to comment on your report just these words that .It deserve appreciation and need the attention on what it aims;and all stakeholders should pay their attention to cut-out this threat from our society.not only officilas the main damages are of masses.
Good article you have shoosen a very important issue, and central Asia online I like your exclusive work very much and wish you all the best that you will continuoue the reall role of media .
Kakar shb nice story appreciate it and agree with you ,i think another factor seeds that both defensive and offensive systems is that they fulfill their protective purpose while presenting technical stumbling blocks to the enemy in his attempts to overcome them therfore the use of IEDS is a a mjor threat
Like it mr.kakar. and i guess the authorities need to pay attention on the fact that in todays advance world IEDs can be prepared almost everywhere, with materials that can be acquired from agricultural and medical supplies. The preparation does not require highly technical knowledge. therefore awareness is extreamlly neccessary on every part.
Good article , deeply appreciate your work ghani.In my openion these are not PAKI fellows those involved in IEDs business are Uzbik, and some are other afghans funded by coward RAW which in actually impotent 2 do sumthing itself and funding these terroists......
Every one has right of difference of opinion but on one thing ithink we all may agree that such things happening in Pakistan are not good these activities are not possible without financial or other supports which is coming from off-border. therefore i suggust everyone that its the time for every stake holder to try to correct wrong decisions other-wise things will be out of control not only for Pakistan but every one else too. Faizi2005 10 months ago
Excellent report kakar sahib I think all such techniques of terrorism are using to clear away the hurdles in the way of terrorists that they destroy everything for their aims every person of society must play its role to foil these actions.
Ok agree ,who will protect nuclear weapons from terrosists ?
we are so behind, we can not differentiate between the enemies and Controlled demolition plans..................
I think mossad and raw is behind such practices in pakistan due to which they want explore their targets and want to distablize pakistan.the govt should act on reallity not just blame taliban for it.
Appreciate it very much informative report like your struggle for peace and harmony May God bless Pakistan.Ameen
I thin at this time pakistan is facing lack of equipments to search out ieds and therefore is being made any extra-up threat for its integrity.I like your report it is balanced and much informative.
it shows good work and i like it much and want ask all those which are responsible to stop it.what you are doing why you are silent why you you don,t knwo that how these ieds are smashing masses.pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas answer to our nation
great analysis. kakar
Yes Agree with you Mr.Ghani In Balochistan at leat all rebel organizations are using IEDS and i think it is much understood that these groups have support over the border and the IEDS technology comes to them from those which are russian trained.
I must say it shows good work and you skached briliant analysis in paksitan really such homemade bombs are the big threat for all it needs quike attention.farooq asad pindi
great work kakar sb