Our country is witnessing a testing time and the death of the SP Tahir Khan Dawar has added to the list of incidents we, as a nation, have had to endure. Our patience has been tested time and again - be it in terms of political unrest, the ailing economy or the lapses in the security situation. SP Tahir Khan Dawar was kidnapped from our federal capital despite the active installation of the safe city project but this is not the first time the terrorist group, so-called Islamic State (IS), has made its presence prominent in the country. A flag of the group was put up in the federal capital around a year ago and a Chinese couple was also murdered in Quetta. Our security agencies and the law enforcement bodies have worked endlessly to rid the country of terrorism and this death now demands an extensive operation along with an investigation into the matter.

SP Dawar was not only kidnapped but also transported across the border into Afghanistan. This highlights negligence on several accounts, especially since one of our own dedicated officers is being mocked after his gruesome death by the release of his pictures. The Minister of State for Interior, Shehryar Afridi, refused to comment on the matter claiming that it was too sensitive, however, after the spread of pictures on social media, the masses need to be taken into confidence because such deaths also shatter their confidence in the security situation. An investigation into the matter will not only point out the loopholes in the security situation but also bring to the forefront as to why the government was not able to trace his whereabouts for over two weeks.

The matter was taken to the parliament by MNA Mohsin Dawar and several political parties refused to comment on the matter despite its severity. The parliament along with law enforcement agencies need to devise a framework to curb the expansion of so-called IS in the country. The fact that they were able to abduct an officer without alerting anyone is a cause of concern. The cross-border movement between Afghanistan and Pakistan needs to be strictly monitored and Afghanistan must be taken on board with the terrorism eradication strategy. We owe it to these martyrs of our soil to not only make arrangements for their family but also upgrade our security layout and devise a national narrative which rejects extremism and terrorism in Pakistan.