EDITORIAL: Pakistan’s war against terrorism is far from over. The latest Global Terrorism Index (GTI) ranking, which places Pakistan as the second most terrorism-affected country in the world, is not just a statistic — it is a grim reflection of a grimmer reality. The brazen attack in Bannu, where at least 18 people, including five security personnel, were killed, is just the latest incident to underscore the severity of the threat.
The resurgence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is at the heart of this crisis. Ever since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, TTP has found a safe haven across the border, allowing it to regroup, reorganise, and launch deadly attacks inside Pakistan.
The Afghan Taliban’s repeated assurances that they would not let Afghan soil be used against any country have proven hollow. Instead of neutralising the TTP threat, the Taliban regime has emboldened them by refusing to act, if not outright facilitating their resurgence.
Pakistan’s attempts at diplomacy — whether in the form of talks with the Afghan government or previous peace negotiations with TTP — have failed miserably. The idea that the TTP could be politically engaged has long been thoroughly discredited.
Pakistan’s security forces have been waging relentless operations against militants, yet the frequency and scale of attacks suggest that a more forceful approach is now necessary.
The attacks are no longer just sporadic; they represent a systematic challenge to the state’s authority. KP and Balochistan have become hotbeds of insurgency, where terrorists routinely target military and police personnel.
The situation is eerily reminiscent of the dark days of the early 2010s, when Pakistan was engulfed in an all-out war against militant outfits. The difference now is that the enemy is operating from across the border, using Afghanistan as a springboard for its terrorist activities.
There is no more room for half-measures. Pakistan must shift to an aggressive counter-terrorism posture that eliminates the TTP threat once and for all. This means a coordinated military and intelligence-driven strategy, including decisive action against terror sanctuaries within and outside the country.
The state must not hesitate to exert diplomatic and strategic pressure on the Afghan Taliban. If Kabul refuses to rein in the TTP, Pakistan must consider all available options, however severe they may be, to protect and defend the homeland.
Beyond military action, there is also an urgent need for domestic security and intelligence reforms. The fact that terrorists are still able to breach security perimeters and carry out high-casualty attacks raises serious questions about intelligence failures.
The National Action Plan (NAP), once hailed as Pakistan’s roadmap to eradicating terrorism, has regrettably been reduced to a mere piece of paper. It must be revitalised and fully implemented, particularly in terms of dismantling militant networks, controlling extremist financing, and cracking down on radicalisation.
The economic implications of unchecked terrorism are equally dire. No investor — foreign or local — wants to do business in an unstable, violence-ridden country. At a time when Pakistan is already facing an economic crisis, rising militancy is the last thing it can afford.
Political instability only makes matters worse, as security strategies require policy continuity and state cohesion, both of which are lacking in Pakistan’s current fractured political climate. A weak political setup will always be an easy target for terrorists.
The state has spent two decades fighting terrorism, yet the resurgence of militancy proves that complacency is not an option. Pakistan must take control of the narrative, stop playing defence, and move decisively against the enemies of peace. If Afghanistan refuses to cooperate in dismantling terror sanctuaries, Pakistan must make it clear that it will act in its own security interests, with or without Kabul’s support.
The country has already suffered too much at the hands of terrorism. The time for half-measures, failed negotiations, and political hesitation is over. This fight must be won — fully, forcefully, and finally.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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