The history of terrorism in Pakistan was neither sudden nor accidental. It evolved gradually over decades of geopolitical conflict and political expediency. Its roots lie in the Soviet-Afghan war of the 1980s, when Pakistan became a conduit for weapons, militant ideologies and battle-hardened fighters. Weapons like the Kalashnikov and the Uzi, once symbols of distant wars, have entered everyday life in Pakistan.
Over time, the line between ordinary criminality and ideological militancy blurred. Criminal acts were often masked under militant rhetoric, while sectarian hatred was presented as religious devotion. The State gradually faced a deeply rooted culture of armed impunity that spread through society and altered the country’s social and political landscape.
With the end of the Cold War, militancy did not disappear. Its infrastructure survived beneath the surface, quietly recalibrating itself. Networks remained intact, training camps endured, and extremist ideologies persisted. Thus, the 1990s unfolded as a decade of deceptive calm.
The early 2000s marked a grim turning point as terrorism in Pakistan became more organized and ruthless. Suicide bombings hit cities and public spaces. These attacks were designed not only to kill but also to spread fear and fracture society.
The post-9/11 US invasion of Afghanistan accelerated this descent into militancy. Pakistan’s alliance with the United States and the collapse of the Afghan Taliban regime pushed foreign militants, including al Qaeda operatives and Central Asian fighters, into tribal areas. Over time, these groups redirected the violence toward Pakistan. The emergence of the TTP unified the insurgency and expanded its reach.
The consequences were serious: thousands of people died, the economy suffered, and fear disrupted daily life. However, military operations such as Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad weakened militant networks and restored state authority in many regions.
However, terrorism continually adapts and reconfigures. Following the return of the Afghan Taliban in 2021, the TTP found new sanctuaries across the border. Since 2022, militant activity has intensified amid internal political turmoil. At the same time, long-standing tensions around the Durand Line and allegations within Pakistan’s security framework of support for hostile intelligence networks operating from India and Afghan soil have further complicated the security environment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
In this volatile environment, Imran Khan’s policies assumed critical importance. His government’s decision to open borders to Afghan militants and facilitate their settlement within Pakistan introduced a deeply controversial dimension. What might have been intended as a deal risked reintroducing battle-hardened fighters into an already fragile environment.
At the same time, the insurgency in Balochistan has become sharper and more sophisticated. The Balochistan Liberation Army is believed to have benefited from external financial and logistical support. The influx of modern weaponry has encouraged militant operations and transformed the insurgency into a more potent destabilizing force. However, to face this challenge the firm determination of Pakistan Army remains.
Pakistan’s police forces deserve special recognition in this long struggle. They often form the first line of defense and have fought terrorism with remarkable courage and sacrifice. Their sacrifices form one of the strongest pillars of Pakistan’s counter-terrorism framework.
A darker effect of this long proliferation of sophisticated weaponry is now visible in the katcha areas of Sindh and Punjab, where heavily armed robber gangs have become dangerous criminal syndicates. Armed with modern weapons, they have expanded from remote riverside areas to urban centers, engaging in kidnappings, extortion and murder with chilling audacity. The police, despite their bravery, often face criminals who possess superior firepower. In such circumstances, a decisive and coordinated operation, supported by strong intelligence integration between civil and military agencies and, where necessary, by air power, has become imperative.
Indeed, Pakistan’s counterterrorism record reflects hard-earned resilience and institutional maturity. Military operations dismantled entrenched sanctuaries; intelligence coordination was sharpened; and the calibrated use of air power signaled with unmistakable clarity that militant sanctuaries would no longer be tolerated. However, terrorism, by its very nature, remains protean. It gets rid of old forms and takes on new forms. Sleeper cells, lone actors and digital radicalization now represent the emerging frontier of this threat.
Economically, terrorism limits investment and represents a burden for the State; socially, it erodes trust and fractures cohesion; politically it imposes difficult and implacable options. Above all, it challenges the very imagination of a peaceful and progressive society.
Ultimately, this is a narrative contest. Militancy cannot be defeated through force alone; the ideas that support it must also be extinguished. Where despair once took root, hope, inclusion and legal governance must emerge. Only then can the cycle of violence truly be broken.
Terrorism in Pakistan is neither invincible nor eternal. With the military and police, clarity of purpose and unity of will can effectively silence terror.
The author is a former Inspector General of Police and former Ombudsman of Sindh.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of PakGazette.tv.
Originally published in The News
