The brutal attack on a police vehicle in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) district on Wednesday – which claimed the lives of three police personnel, including an assistant sub-inspector – has once again laid bare the worsening security landscape. This incident came barely a day after Miranshah Assistant Commissioner Shah Wali and two police personnel were martyred in Bannu. In a parallel development, security forces eliminated seven terrorists in two operations in North Waziristan. The pattern is unmistakable: Pakistan’s battle against terrorism is entering a deadlier phase, with casualties climbing at an alarming pace. In fact, some assessments – such as one by The Khorasan Diary – even indicate that 2025 is on course to become the worst year in two decades in terms of terrorist attacks, fatalities and injuries. Two recent terrorism assessments present an even more disturbing picture. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) reports a significant surge in terror attacks in November alone, with militants – chiefly from groups linked to the TTP and BLA – increasingly striking “soft targets”, leading to a marked rise in civilian deaths.
Similarly, the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) noted a 25 per cent increase in violence during the first 11 months of 2025. At least 3,187 people – civilians, security personnel and militants – lost their lives in 1,188 incidents of violence, compared to 2,546 fatalities recorded in all of 2024. KP and Balochistan remain the epicentres of this bloodshed, accounting for over 96 per cent of all fatalities and 92 per cent of violent incidents. These statistics narrate a devastating tale of the revival of militancy after Pakistan had already paid the staggering price of 70,000–80,000 casualties during the ‘war on terror’. What we need is a fundamental reassessment of our counterterrorism policy – one anchored in political unity, which is one thing that remains sorely absent in the country. In this, the KP government, led by the PTI, must engage constructively with the centre since this is not only a provincial issue but really a national one with implications for every citizen’s security. Yet, political polarisation continues to cloud what should be a clear national priority. Statements by PTI founder Imran Khan from Adiala jail concerning Afghanistan and counterterror operations have led to mixed signals at a time when absolute clarity is essential. And let’s face it: on terrorism and its facilitators, confusion is a luxury Pakistan cannot afford.
Any new counterterrorism framework must be built through consultation among all stakeholders and it must incorporate the concerns of affected local communities. Pakistan has shown considerable restraint in dealing with Afghanistan – even though the Afghan Taliban regime has provided space and logistical convenience to TTP factions while publicly denying their presence on its soil. Mediation attempts by Qatar and Turkiye have produced little movement. And now international media has reported that even the latest round of talks in Saudi Arabia failed to yield a breakthrough, though both sides agreed to maintain a fragile ceasefire. The core demand from Pakistan is straightforward: Afghanistan must commit, clearly and in writing, to taking action against groups operating from its territory and launching attacks inside Pakistan. If the Taliban are unwilling or unable to do so, Pakistan will have little choice but to consider economic and diplomatic measures that compel compliance. All diplomatic channels must be exhausted, but the international community also has a responsibility. The world must pressure the Afghan Taliban to curb terrorism instead of enabling it. Pakistan is currently the primary victim of the Afghan Taliban’s permissive posture towards militant groups. But if this trend continues, it will not be the last – nor the only – country to suffer.
