The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa brought to light a shocking list on Friday, exposing more than 50 women involved in various terrorist activities since 2014.
The list, a grim testament to the evolving landscape of security threats, indicated that these women were not merely passive actors but active participants in incidents ranging from terrorism and kidnapping to extortion, targeted killing, and terror financing.
CTD DIG Imran Shahid, shedding light on the challenges faced by intelligence and law enforcement agencies, disclosed that apprehending these female terrorists posed a unique set of difficulties.
Cultural and traditional values, deeply ingrained in the region, created barriers for authorities, hindering their efforts to curb the involvement of women in unlawful activities. Additionally, the absence of concrete leads linked to these female criminals exacerbated the challenges faced by the agencies.
Expressing the gravity of the situation, Shahid emphasized that cases had been registered against the implicated women in various police stations. Some were already in the legal pipeline, with court proceedings underway, highlighting the severity of the threat posed by this unexpected demographic of perpetrators.
The Silent Predicament in Peshawar
Peshawar, the provincial capital, emerged as a focal point in the unsettling narrative, with cases of terrorism registered against 18 females spread across different police stations. This revelation underscored the covert nature of these activities and the clandestine networks that facilitated the involvement of women in terrorism.
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The Counter-Terrorism Department’s list, serving as a comprehensive exposé, revealed that nine females had been acquitted in the registered cases, raising questions about the efficacy of the legal processes or potential gaps in the investigations.
Simultaneously, the fact that cases against other female terrorists were still pending in the courts hinted at the protracted battle that lay ahead for law enforcement agencies in dismantling this unexpected dimension of terrorism.
CTD DIG Imran Shahid’s acknowledgment of the profound influence of cultural and traditional values on the operational landscape highlighted the need for a nuanced approach in tackling female involvement in terrorism.
Moreover, the intelligence community found itself grappling with a daunting lack of sources linked to female criminals or terrorists. This intelligence gap underscored the sophistication of the networks supporting these women.