Peshawar, Apr 23 : Militants in Pakistan have shunned carrying out suicide bombings and have turned to kidnapping high profile personalities, in a bid to make the government fulfill their demands more forcibly, say the country’s military and security officials.

The concern has been expressed in the wake of kidnapping of Pakistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Tariq Azizuddin, who was allegedly abducted from Khyber Agency on February 11. On Monday, Pakistan’s paramilitary forces foiled an attempt to kidnap two World Food Programme (WFP) officials.

According to the officials, the militants have lately realized that kidnappings of key personalities was a “more lethal weapon than suicide bombing”.

“The militants seem to have worked out a new strategy and that is to kidnap high profile people. In doing so, they exert great pressure on the government to force acceptance of their demands, while still portraying a soft image of themselves,” the Daily Times quoted the military and security officials as saying.

They further say that the militants seem to have chosen the Khyber Agency for most of the kidnappings, most likely due to its strategic road link with Afghanistan. A major supply route of the United States and NATO forces also passes through the agency, they add.

“With kidnapping, pressure builds on the government to accept most demands, as public pressure increases and the issue becomes a humanitarian concern,” say the officials.

Warning the government to take a more serious view of the situation in the Tribal Areas, the officials said that Azizuddin’s kidnapping was “targeted”. They also said that Monday’s attempted kidnapping was “designed” to put pressure on the government to accept certain spurious demands. The militants do this while showing a “political face pledging to work for peace” in public to retain the peoples’ sympathies, they add.

The officials warn that if the Khyber Agency followed in the footsteps of Waziristan or Bajaur, Peshawar’s fall might not be far behind. (ANI)