Pakistan’s battle against terrorism is once again demanding blood, sacrifice and vigilance. The recent wave of attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan are obviously telling us that, despite operations and immense human loss, the threat has not disappeared. The martyrdom of Liaqat Shaheed, a retired Pakistan Railways employee who sacrificed his life while trying to stop a suicide bomber near Kohat, should be seen as a powerful symbol of ordinary Pakistanis’ courage in the face of extraordinary violence. President Asif Ali Zardari’s decision to award him the Sitara-e-Shujaat is a fitting recognition of that bravery. Yet symbolic honours alone cannot mask the deteriorating security situation. The deadly blast near the Naurang police station in Lakki Marwat and the suicide attack in Bannu, where several policemen embraced martyrdom, are both additions to a long chapter of terror. Although attacks are not occurring at the same scale witnessed during the darkest years of terrorism, the recent uptick is alarming enough to raise serious questions about the effectiveness of regional counterterrorism efforts and the sincerity of commitments made by Afghanistan’s Taliban regime.
Pakistan has repeatedly maintained that militant groups such as the TTP and the BLA continue to operate from Afghan soil. Islamabad’s frustration is understandable. Since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021, cross-border terrorism has escalated sharply, particularly in KP and Balochistan. Despite diplomatic engagements, ceasefire understandings and even trilateral talks involving China, there appears to be little meaningful action on the ground. Fine words emerging from meetings and declarations about ‘normalcy’ carry little value when suicide bombers continue to target Pakistani civilians and security personnel. At the same time, Pakistan must approach this challenge with strategic clarity rather than rhetoric alone. Blaming Afghanistan entirely, while perhaps politically convenient, cannot substitute for a comprehensive and sustainable security policy at home. Counterterrorism requires more than military operations and diplomatic demarches. It demands intelligence coordination, policing reforms, border management, deradicalisation efforts and economic investment in vulnerable regions that have suffered for decades from instability and neglect.
There is also the broader national cost to consider. Pakistan is already grappling with economic fragility, climate-related disasters, governance challenges and social unrest. The return of frequent terrorist violence threatens to push the country backwards, undermining investor confidence, disrupting development and deepening public insecurity. No nation can hope to progress while constantly looking over its shoulder. The Afghan Taliban must recognise that regional stability cannot coexist with the continued presence and facilitation of militant networks. If Kabul genuinely seeks improved ties with Islamabad and greater regional integration, it must move beyond assurances and take verifiable action against groups using Afghan territory to launch attacks. Otherwise, distrust between the two neighbours will only deepen, with dangerous consequences for the wider region. Pakistan, meanwhile, must remain firm but measured. The sacrifices of citizens like Liaqat Shaheed and countless members of the security forces should strengthen national resolve not just to fight terrorism militarily, but to build a safer, more stable and forward-looking state that refuses to allow extremism to dictate its future.
