After a brief bout of peace, there has been a resurgence of terror across Pakistan, including in the erstwhile tribal areas and parts of Balochistan, mostly originating from across the border from Afghanistan and the Pak-Iran border. The primary threat is from the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), but there is also a renewed risk from Daesh and Baloch insurgents, with the Durand Line remaining a porous border despite attempts to fence it. Attacks on security forces are once again a near-daily occurrence, with the Army—formed to confront the threat from India on the eastern border—finding its toughest challenge from western border that it is not oriented to confront. Tragically, a majority of attackers are Pakistan’s own citizens, who fled across the border during the last military offensive.
The current wave of militancy is not restricted to the hinterlands, reaching urban centers such as Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, putting police as well as soldiers in the crosshairs of terrorists. Multiple attempts to push the Taliban ruling Afghanistan into action against the militants sheltering on their soil have yet to bear fruit, with the interim government routinely denying any contact with them while claiming an inability to extend its writ to the borders.
There are now growing fears of the cross-border terrorism increasing in the days to come, as Pakistan’s leaders remain divided over how to tackle it, with former prime minister Imran Khan still advocating peace talks even as the incumbent government backs military action. A key concern is of the militants targeting foreign nationals—as they have in the past—particularly individuals working on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in Pakistan. Amidst a crippling economic crunch, the Belt and Road Initiative promises prosperity through regional trade that is essential for Pakistan to achieve stability. The terrorism perpetrated by the TTP cannot be ignored; Pakistan must overcome it if it has any hope of achieving stability and emerging from the multiple crises currently facing it.