Pak govt unable or unwilling to stop terrorist attacks: HRW

Pakistan's civilian and military institutions are either unable to or unwilling to prevent terrorist attacks in the country, an international human rights group has said in its report.

The failure by Pakistan is leading militant groups, including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and some other banned outfits, operate with 'virtual impunity' in the country.

In its World Report 2014, the Human Rights watch said that the militant groups such as the ostensibly banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), a Taliban affiliate, operate with virtual impunity across Pakistan as law enforcement officials either turn a blind eye or appear helpless to prevent attacks.

Talking to Dawn, HRW's country director for Pakistan, Ali Dayan Hasan said that in the 667-page report, Taliban attacks, amounting to war crimes, have increased in scope and magnitude even as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government has renewed offer for peace talks in the aftermath of atrocities.

The HRW report has come at a time when the militants have stepped up their attacks across the country.

Militants have already carried out 25 major terrorist attacks in the first 20 days of 2014.