Terrorism challenge

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Terrorism challenge​

Editorial
March 5, 2025

AS the country continues to face a multifaceted terrorism threat, the state has yet to come up with a matching response, even as we continue to lose a high number of security men and civilians to terrorist attacks.

Figures released for February by the PICSS think tank point to the grim reality we face: over 100 lives were lost to terrorism last month, with civilian fatalities (55) overtaking those of security personnel (47). In keeping with earlier trends, the violence has been concentrated in KP and Balochistan, with religiously inspired militants such as the banned TTP, as well as Baloch separatists, spearheading the violent campaigns.

Even in the current month, the past few days have seen numerous incidents of bloodletting. The latest incident occurred on Tuesday, when suicide bombers reportedly struck Bannu Cantonment. Earlier, an FC man was martyred on Monday when a woman suicide bomber, apparently belonging to the banned BLA, carried out an attack near Kalat. Four security men were similarly martyred in firefights with terrorists in North Waziristan. Meanwhile, the deadly bombing of the Haqqania madressah last week — believed to be the handiwork of IS — shows that other militant actors, too, feel confident enough to stage fresh attacks.

Many of these acts of terrorism have been carried out in regions bordering Afghanistan, where the Taliban rulers are hostile to some terrorist groups, such as IS, yet maintain cordial ties with others, such as the TTP. Therefore, Pakistan has few options but to cooperate on the counterterrorism issue with Kabul. But bilateral ties are going through a particularly low phase, with the Torkham border closed since Feb 21, after the Afghan side reportedly started construction in a disputed area. Things have worsened since then as both sides exchanged fire, involving the use of heavy weapons, on Sunday. The fact is that while Pakistan is right in blaming the Afghan Taliban for doing little to curb cross-border terrorism, if ties deteriorate further, it will negatively affect CT cooperation.

The presence of IS in both countries should serve as a point of unity for Islamabad and Kabul. Both sides confront a bloodthirsty foe, and the only way to defeat it is to work together. Having said that, Kabul cannot rage against the ‘bad’ IS terrorists, and feign ignorance about the malign activities of the ‘good’ TTP terrorists. Action must be taken across the board, and all terrorist groups that threaten Pakistan should be dealt with by Kabul.

On the other hand, the state here must go beyond rhetoric and implement a CT strategy that can deliver lasting results. Over 1,600 security men and civilians lost their lives in terrorist attacks in 2024. This blood-soaked trend must be arrested through an effective CT campaign.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2025

Source:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1895866/terrorism-challenge

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/1908447601009053847

 

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A dangerous escalation​

Editorials
2025-04-13

News that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has come into possession of US-made Javelin anti-tank guided missiles marks an alarming escalation in the threat matrix confronting Pakistan. This is not just another item in the daily security briefings routinely dismissed with vague condemnations and hollow resolve. It is a red flag – bright and burning – demanding immediate attention at the highest levels of government and national security.

The Javelin, after all, is no ordinary battlefield weapon. This is a top-tier, shoulder-fired missile system capable of destroying tanks and fortified positions with precision from nearly three kilometers away. Its “fire-and-forget” capability allows the operator to flee the launch site immediately after firing, making it an ideal choice for insurgents seeking to inflict maximum damage with minimal risk. In the hands of a trained military, the Javelin is a potent deterrent. In the hands of a terrorist militia, it is a nightmare scenario.

This development casts a long and damning shadow over the way western military equipment was stockpiled – and ultimately abandoned – in Afghanistan. For years, security experts warned that the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 would inevitably flood the region with high-grade weaponry. That prophecy is now manifesting in the form of advanced missile systems falling into the hands of non-state actors that have already inflicted immense suffering within Pakistan. The consequences of this negligence are no longer theoretical.

For years, Pakistan has been warning the international community about the regrouping of TTP elements across the border in Afghanistan, and the consequences of allowing militant sanctuaries to flourish unchecked. This latest revelation vindicates those warnings, but vindication is cold comfort when the national interest stands exposed. The time for diplomatic niceties and unreciprocated restraint has long passed.

If anything, this episode underlines, once again, the urgent need for a recalibrated counterterrorism strategy – one that is rooted in proactive deterrence, not reactive containment. Pakistan must enhance its intelligence and surveillance footprint along the border, and ensure that these weapons, if not already smuggled in, are prevented from crossing into Pakistani territory. And if they are here, finding and neutralising them must be a top priority.

There is also a symbolic dimension to this crisis that cannot be overlooked. The fact that an outlawed militant group, with a long and bloody history of targeting civilians and security personnel, now wields American military-grade weapons is a stinging indictment of global counterterrorism cooperation. It raises serious questions about accountability, oversight, and the long-term security fallout of wars that are abandoned, not concluded.

And yes, it calls to mind troubling historical parallels. The rise of extremist forces armed with foreign weapons is not a new story in this region – it is a repeated tragedy. But that does not mean it should be tolerated as inevitable. What is happening now is a reflection not only of strategic oversight elsewhere, but of our own systemic vulnerabilities at home. If Pakistan fails to meet this moment with seriousness and strategy, the costs could once again be paid in blood.

If this country is to be defended, if its people are to feel secure within their own borders, then threats of this magnitude must no longer be met with bureaucratic indifference or diplomatic ambiguity. They must be met with action – swift, decisive, and unflinching.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025