More terror…Editorial Board

It is never-ending, and a frightening reminder of the years Pakistan had a terror attack almost daily. On Monday again after a week of terror incidents in the country, one of which martyred at least 14 security personnel the country sat witness to more terrorism acts when a Pakistan Army officer and three soldiers were martyred during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Khyber district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. On the weekend, suspected militants were reported to have also attacked the Gul Imam Police Station in Tank; the militants retreated after resistance by police personnel.

It will not be an exaggeration to say that terorism has affected every Pakistani in some shape or form. Over the years, tens of thousands have been killed and injured in militant attacks. And now in the past year or two a new wave of terrorism has gripped the country, with a rise in attacks across the country. This uptick in terror started soon after the fall of Kabul in August 2021. This was something security experts in Pakistan had been warning the previous Imran Khan-led government, reminding the former prime minister that the Afghan Taliban do not abide by any international covenants and can hardly be counted on to bring stability in the region. The speed with which the TTP and its affiliated groups have been successfully conducting terrorist attacks across the country from major cities to more remote areas is a testament also to what experts had been warning for long: the Afghan government must ensure that cross-border terrorist attacks are not carried out from Afghan soil. This has proven to be a battle to achieve and we are still waiting for the Afghan Taliban regime across the border to come through on this score. Encouragingly, both civilian and military officials have unequivocally said that it will not be showing any leniency to any form of terror meaning that the days of good and bad Taliban are over. The armys top brass has already vowed some months back to hunt down terrorists through a whole-of-the-system approach to eradicate terrorism, extremism and instability in the country.

On the intelligence front, there have been justifiable calls for the empowering of the National Counter Terrorism Authority which was conceived as a clearinghouse for intelligence from all the different civilian and intelligence agencies. We need to ensure that Nacta gets the authority and attention it deserves, while also discrediting the divisive ideology espoused by terror groups. A country that has fought valiantly against terrorism and sacrificed more than 80,000 lives cannot afford more terror. It is now crucial for the government, security agencies, and citizens to collaborate closely and confront this menace head-on. By addressing root causes, strengthening security measures, fostering national unity, and seeking international cooperation, Pakistan can make some headway on its side of the border but it still needs the Afghan Taliban to choke off all air supply to the TTP on Afghan soil. To prevent new militant threats from rising up, it is their divisive ideology which must be discredited. This is an uphill task, but it is not impossible.

Courtesy The News