Police stand guard along a road they blocked after militants seized a police station in Bannu on December 19, 2022. — AFP

Talks between the government and the militants, who had taken over the Bannu Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) complex a day earlier, have yielded no breakthrough despite the passage of nearly 15 hours.

On Sunday, detained militants inside the CTD facility took over its compound, holding investigators hostage and demanding safe evacuation to Afghanistan.

The situation in Bannu remained tense on Monday as police and security agencies cordoned off the camp area - where the facility is located - and asked residents to stay inside. Internet and mobile services were also suspended in the area.

The outlawed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the incident. In a statement, a spokesman for the militant group said its members had taken CTD staff and security officials hostage. He added that the gunmen - in a previous video statement - had demanded safe passage but "mistakenly mentioned Afghanistan".

He further said that the group spoke to government officials overnight and asked them to "transfer the prisoners" to either South or North Waziristan, but lamented that they have not yet received a positive response.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (SACM) Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said the situation is deadlocked and there has been no breakthrough yet.

In an interview with Dawn.com, Saif also said that he is in constant contact with the Taliban. "I have been talking to Taliban officials all night," he said, admitting that the talks have so far not been fruitful.

He also confirmed that a security official was killed by gunmen in the Bannu compound, but did not elaborate further. He said the government engaged the militants to avoid casualties.

Later in a tweet, Saif clarified that the government will not fulfill any demand of the terrorists.

He said the "surrounded terrorists" wanted to gain public sympathy through the news.

SACM said it would be better if the gunmen lay down their arms, warning that otherwise "severe action" would be taken against them. He concluded that elements involved in terrorist activities "will not be treated lightly".

Imran criticizes the government for failing to curb terrorism

The PTI, which is at the helm in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, did not directly address the issue, but party chairman Imran Khan criticized the federal government in a series of tweets for what he described as its failure to deal with the growing threat of terrorism.

“Besides bringing our economy to the ground, this imported government has failed to deal with the 50 percent increase in terrorism in Pakistan with incidents from Chaman to Swat to Lakki Marwat to Bannu,” Imran said.

“They have also failed to deal with attacks from the international Pak-Afghan border by security forces of the 'friendly' Afghan government.

“While our soldiers, police officers and local people are making daily sacrifices with their lives, the worst part is that this growing terrorist threat and attacks across our western border have no place in the discourse of this cabal of crooks government.

He claimed that the incumbent government was only interested in “their NRO2 and its preservation.

"Therefore, despite economic tanking, they are petrified of holding elections, which is the only way to stabilize the economy through political stabilization."

Responding to Imran's statement, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that the law and order situation in KP is the responsibility of the provincial government.

“The KP CTD is in a rented building where there is not even a Grade 20 officer who is the Deputy Inspector General of Police CTD. PTI would always apologize for covering up its shortcomings and criminal negligence,” he said.

Episode

On Sunday, militants detained at a facility run by the KP Police CTD managed to escape from their arrest and hold the security personnel hostage.

An official source said the militants "took over the compound" and fired at security personnel, injuring a policeman and a soldier.

Police and security forces rushed to the spot and an operation was underway to free the hostages, a source told Dawn on Sunday.

Earlier, sources said negotiations with the militants were underway while Pakistan Army and police commandos were deployed in the operation.

Meanwhile, a resident in Bannu said gunshots and explosions were heard in the camp area.

Conflicting reports were shared on social media with many users claiming that terrorists attacked the CTD facility from outside.

Saif, however, denied such reports and added that some detained 'dissidents' tried to wrest weapons from the security personnel.

A video clip in which one of the gunmen allegedly held a security official at gunpoint also went viral. The alleged militant demanded "safe passage" to Afghanistan and warned of dire consequences if the demand was not met.

Another alleged militant, whose face could not be seen, said eight to 10 members of the security forces were in captivity.

He said thirty-five of his detained associates - whom he called fidayeen - had been freed and demanded that Pakistan arrange for them to be flown to Afghanistan.

"We have breached the prison and the security men are in our captivity and if we are given a safe exit, they will be released safely," he said.