Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Sunday downplayed the recent escalation in terrorist attacks in Pakistan, saying there was no need for alarm.
"A little surge [in terrorism] is not so big as to make us panic," Bugti told reporters in Islamabad. He said the government was aware of the threat posed by terrorists and was taking all necessary measures to counter it.
Bugti's comments came after a series of high-profile attacks in recent weeks, including a suicide bombing in Karachi that killed 13 people and a bomb blast in Quetta that killed five people.
The TTP, a banned militant group, has claimed responsibility for many of the recent attacks. The group has been waging a bloody insurgency against the Pakistani state for over a decade.
Bugti said the government was working to improve intelligence sharing and coordination between security agencies to better counter the TTP threat. He also said the government was working to address the root causes of terrorism, such as poverty and unemployment.
However, some analysts have expressed concern that the caretaker government's focus on elections may be leading to a neglect of the security situation. They have called on the government to take more robust measures to counter the TTP threat.
The next general elections in Pakistan are scheduled to be held on October 25. The caretaker government was appointed in August to oversee the transition to a new civilian government.
