Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the newly merged districts, NMDs (formerly Fata) remain among Pakistan’s most fragile and strategically sensitive regions in the last four decades.
Despite major counterterrorism operations, the persistence of terrorism, violence, mistrust and anti-state narratives underscores the urgent need for informed dialogue and sustained investment in human capital. Against this backdrop, the National Workshop on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, organised by the government of KP in collaboration with 11 Corps Headquarters, Peshawar, was a timely and important initiative aimed at addressing security challenges, reshaping perceptions and strengthening national cohesion.
The workshop objectives clearly defined the strong stance, direction and vision of COAS-CDF Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir: a hard stance with zero tolerance, without any concept or ideology of good or bad Taliban, to eliminate terrorism. This workshop provided a rare opportunity to engage directly with senior civil and military leadership, policymakers, Maliks, Mashrans, politicians and participants from diverse regions, offering exposure to operational realities beyond headlines and rhetoric.
One of the workshop’s key analytical contributions was framing contemporary terrorism as a non-kinetic domain- hybrid warfare rather than isolated acts of terrorism, violence and extremism.
Militancy today combines ideological manipulation, economic incentives, smuggling, extortion, narcotics trade, social media-digital misinformation, and systematic de-legitimisation of state institutions – often branding them as ‘illegitimate’ or un-Islamic.
Equally significant was the discussion on the role of Afghanistan-based militant sanctuaries, including FAK and Indian proxies in KP, FAH and BLA operating in Balochistan, which was presented as a central destabilising factor. References to India’s post-Mumbai attacks strategy, particularly its agenda of building international narrative warfare against Pakistan, were supported with historical context and strategic analysis, underscoring the need for broader public awareness.
Despite improved security indicators, KP’s merged districts remain vulnerable to extremist relapse due to four interconnected challenges.
First, a trust deficit persists. While communities acknowledge sacrifices made by security forces, state-led peace narratives are often perceived as imposed rather than owned. Second, youth alienation continues to grow, driven by unemployment, identity crises and exposure to extremist content both online and offline.
Third, weak civilian governance lags behind security presence, reinforcing the perception that peace equates to control rather than service delivery. Finally, economic vulnerability sustains informal economies that enable militant recruitment, smuggling networks and erosion of rule of law.
The recent wave of terrorist attacks in Pakistan is not a new challenge. With the leftover ammunition worth almost $7 billion in the 2021 hasty evacuation of US military forces from Afghanistan, and more than 6000 thousand trained militants freed from jails, also helped militant groups to be more equipped, organised, and strengthened.
International intelligence agencies operating on their agendas in the new US-China race for minerals in MDs are exploiting prolonged weak governance, lack of political will, repeated cycles of forced displacement, collateral damage, poverty, grievance and insecurity. Non-state actors have systematically regrouped, fuelled terrorism, while weak civil-military community-level coordination and leadership have limited local resilience. The local population’s lived experience has often been defined by the persistence of parallel systems of authority and informal justice mechanisms.
Lt-Gen Omar Ahmed Bokhari articulated a clear and reassuring vision rooted in a Pakistan-first approach. He emphasised the need to deepen collective understanding of external factors, the role of Afghanistan-based militant networks and non-state actors working to destabilise the region. Stressing that sustainable peace cannot be achieved through security measures alone, he underscored the critical importance of strong civil-military cooperation, particularly in the Newly Merged Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He also urged the need to invest in human capital, nationwide youth engagement, particularly from the NMDs, because this is essential to counter extremist narratives not only through force, but through understanding, opportunity and inclusive governance.
The writer, an advocate of the Islamabad High Court, has been deeply involved in disaster rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts across Pakistan.
He can be reached at: [email protected]
