KP violence: SHO killed in Karak, three Nowshera policemen missing, 16 militants killed in North Waziristan in two days

Key takeaways

• Karak: Station house officer (SHO) Daud Khan and his guard Farhad were shot dead when gunmen fired on a police patrol on the Indus Highway late on Wednesday night. A passer-by was also hurt.
• Nowshera: Three officials of Nizampur police station went missing on Thursday evening while checking pickets. A search operation is under way and there has been no contact with them so far.
• North Waziristan: Security forces say they killed nine militants in an intelligence-based operation (IBO), and seven more in a second operation reported on Friday.
• The bigger picture: Pakistan recorded 225 militant attacks in September, the highest monthly figure in 12 years, according to the Islamabad-based think tank PICSS.
• The violence is feeding a political row, with federal ministers hinting at governor's rule or an emergency in KP and PTI rejecting both.

Karak: SHO and guard killed on the Indus Highway

According to Karak police, a patrol from Banda Daud Shah police station was attacked in the New Karapa area on the Indus Highway (the Peshawar–Karachi route), near the Karak–Kohat boundary. SHO Daud Khan and his gunner Farhad were killed. The Express Tribune reported that a passer-by was injured.

District Police Officer Imran Khan reached the scene with extra personnel, the area was cordoned off and a search was launched for the attackers. Funeral prayers were held at Police Lines, attended by the Kohat commissioner, the regional police officer and other officials. No group had claimed the attack in the reports we read.

Nowshera: three policemen missing

Police in Nowshera say three officials of Nizampur police station — Muharrar (clerk) Naeemullah, assistant Muharrar Amir and constable Noor Islam — went missing on Thursday evening while inspecting checkpoints. Large police contingents have been sent to search for them. Dawn reported that the district police officer could not be reached for an official version. What happened to the three men is not yet known.

North Waziristan: two operations in two days

State-run PTV said hideouts were destroyed and weapons recovered in the first operation. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces. Security sources described the militants as "Fitna al-Khawarij", the state's term for the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). These figures come from official sources and could not be independently checked.

Why this matters

PICSS data cited by Geo News shows 225 militant attacks across Pakistan in September, up 13% from 199 in August — the third monthly rise in a row and the highest monthly total in 12 years. Islamabad says militants are operating from Afghan soil and wants the Afghan Taliban to act against them; talks between the two sides have not resolved the issue.

The political angle

The attacks come in the middle of PTI's protest march across KP. Federal ministers have pointed to terrorism while hinting at governor's rule or an emergency in the province. PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Khan rejected both on Thursday, said his party "never supported terrorism", and called for the counterterrorism policy to be reviewed and the National Action Plan to be implemented through one national policy. He thanked JUI-F, ANP and Jamaat-i-Islami for opposing governor's rule.

What to watch

• Whether the three missing Nowshera policemen are found, and whether any group claims responsibility.
• Any arrests in the Karak attack.
• Official ISPR statements on the North Waziristan operations.
• Whether the federal government moves on governor's rule or an emergency in KP as the PTI march continues to Mardan (10 October) and Swabi (11 October).