By Agha Iqrar Haroon
“The resurgence of terrorism in Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), is increasingly linked to the deteriorating security and political environment inside Afghanistan under the Afghan Taliban regime,” believe security circles in Islamabad.
According to them, the recent attack on the Fateh Khel Police Post near Bannu is not an isolated incident but part of a broader and alarming pattern of cross-border terrorism orchestrated by the Afghan Taliban, who are losing ideological support within Afghanistan.
They are of the view that Afghanistan is witnessing growing unrest, especially in its northern provinces such as Badakhshan, where local populations are resisting Taliban policies and state repression. The Afghan Taliban leadership, while attempting to consolidate power, is facing declining popularity in northern Afghanistan and responding with harsh measures that have intensified resentment among local communities. This internal instability is increasingly spilling over into neighboring Pakistan, as the Afghan Taliban want to send a message to the northern public that they are very strong and capable of wreaking havoc inside Pakistan, so purging populations in northern regions would not be a problem for them. The Afghan mentality weighs everything through gunpowder power, so increasing terrorism inside Pakistan suits the Afghan Taliban in order to keep control over the northern population, which is now showing open resistance against the illegitimate Afghan Taliban regime.
Pakistan has consistently maintained that terrorist groups operating against the Pakistani state are using Afghan territory as sanctuaries. A large number of terrorist attacks in KP and Balochistan have reportedly involved Afghan nationals, Afghan-based facilitators, or terrorist groups enjoying freedom of movement across the porous border with the overt and covert support of the Afghan Taliban regime. The attack on the Fateh Khel Police Post near Bannu on May 9 once again highlighted this reality. Fifteen policemen embraced martyrdom after a vehicle-borne suicide blast destroyed the police installation. Many of the personnel were buried alive under the collapsed structure, underlining both the brutality of the attackers and the vulnerability of frontline security infrastructure.
The involvement of the Kharji (official name of TTP terrorists given by the Pakistan government) Gul Bahadur network and associated militant factions reinforced Pakistan’s longstanding concern that terrorists continue to operate from Afghan soil with relative impunity. Pakistan’s security institutions have repeatedly warned that the unchecked presence of such groups threatens not only Pakistan but regional peace as a whole, and in a recent address at GHQ, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir sent a message to the Afghan Taliban not to work as an Indian proxy in the region to harm Pakistan.
Pakistani officials and security analysts have repeatedly pointed toward the involvement of Afghan nationals in terrorist incidents inside Pakistan. Arrests of facilitators, recoveries of Afghan-origin documents, and intelligence findings have reinforced concerns regarding cross-border militant movement.
The issue has become increasingly sensitive because it directly impacts Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. Islamabad has consistently urged the Afghan Taliban government to fulfill its commitments under international agreements by ensuring that Afghan territory is not used against neighboring countries. However, continued attacks by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Hafiz Gul Bahadur affiliates, and other extremist organizations indicate that militant networks retain operational freedom. The inability—or unwillingness—of Afghan authorities to dismantle these sanctuaries has become one of the most serious security concerns for Pakistan.
Pakistan’s position remains that peaceful and stable relations with Afghanistan are in the interest of both countries, but this requires concrete action against terrorism rather than rhetorical assurances.
Over the past two decades, Pakistan has sacrificed over 100,000 soldiers, police officers, intelligence personnel, and civilians in the fight against terrorism originating from Afghanistan. Despite major military operations that dismantled terrorist infrastructure inside Pakistan, the regrouping of terrorists in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021 has created renewed security challenges.
Security circles in Islamabad believe that while the Taliban publicly project an image of national control, growing reports from northern Afghanistan indicate rising dissatisfaction and resistance among local populations, particularly in provinces such as Badakhshan.
Badakhshan, historically distinct in its ethnic and political composition, has witnessed increasing clashes between Taliban fighters and local residents. Tensions reportedly escalated during Taliban campaigns conducted under the banner of anti-poppy cultivation operations, but the theme behind the operation is allegedly to purge non-Pashtuns in the area. Local communities have accused Taliban authorities of using excessive force, arbitrary detentions, and violent crackdowns against unarmed civilians.
Reports from the region suggest that resentment is growing because many northern communities perceive Taliban governance as discriminatory and overly centralized. Reports also suggest that Taliban authorities are using coercive methods to suppress dissent and eliminate opposition voices. The worsening situation inside Afghanistan is becoming an increasing risk to neighboring countries. Continued repression, internal resistance, economic collapse, and extremist sanctuary networks inside Afghanistan risk creating long-term instability across the region.
The unrest in Badakhshan reflects a deeper structural issue within Afghanistan: the widening divide between the Taliban leadership and segments of the Afghan population that feel politically marginalized. Instead of building an inclusive political system, as was promised by the Afghan Taliban in the Doha Peace Accord, the Taliban administration has increasingly relied on purging all other factions and sections of society that stand against them. Those powers that promised the world that the Afghan Taliban would establish an all-inclusive government are showing an indifferent attitude and allowing the Afghan Taliban to rule the country illegally under the title of an “interim government,” which has now been in power for almost five years with full immunity to kill anybody they wish inside Afghanistan and continue sending terrorists into Pakistan.
This internal pressure may also explain why militant violence in neighboring Pakistan has intensified. Historically, instability inside Afghanistan has often translated into increased terrorist activity across the border.
The Bannu attack was another painful reminder that Pakistan remains engaged in a difficult and ongoing war against terrorism.
Following the attack, Army Quick Reaction Forces immediately moved from Bannu Cantt toward the targeted police post despite deliberate roadblocks reportedly placed by terrorists to delay reinforcements. Evacuation and rescue operations were conducted under extremely dangerous conditions, demonstrating the operational coordination between the Pakistan Army and KP Police.
The sacrifices of KP Police in the fight against terrorism remain extraordinary. Thousands of officers and personnel have laid down their lives protecting civilians from extremist violence. Police stations, checkpoints, and intelligence units across KP have repeatedly come under attack because terrorists view the police force as a frontline barrier against militant expansion.
Likewise, the Pakistan Army has continued to support civil law enforcement agencies through intelligence-sharing, operational assistance, and emergency response capabilities. The partnership between the Army and Police forms the backbone of Pakistan’s internal security structure.
Terrorist organizations deliberately target both institutions because weakening this coordination serves the broader extremist agenda.
Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts are also complicated by political polarization and irresponsible narratives projected by the provincial government of KP, which is openly providing protection to Afghans who are illegally residing in the province.
Security circles, while avoiding naming any political group, believe that certain political actors and commentators are directly and indirectly supporting the cause of terrorists, and certain political leaders are issuing selective condemnations of terrorism that weaken the national consensus required to confront extremist violence effectively.
They are of the opinion that the collapse of the Fateh Khel Police Post building exposed serious deficiencies in the protective infrastructure provided by the provincial government for frontline security personnel. Terrorist tactics have evolved significantly, particularly the use of vehicle-borne suicide bombings capable of causing mass structural destruction, and security installations require immediate modernization, including reinforced bunkers and roofs, blast-resistant barriers, advanced surveillance systems, secure communication networks, armored mobility, rapid-response capabilities, and intelligence coordination systems. All these factors fall under the responsibility of the provincial government, which appears busy only extracting perks and privileges from public funds and protecting its leadership, which is in jail under corruption charges. It is a known fact that counterterrorism operations cannot succeed effectively if law enforcement institutions are weakened by political interference in recruitment, postings, and operational decision-making.
Depoliticizing the police force, strengthening merit-based administration, and improving operational autonomy are necessary steps toward building a sustainable security framework. Counterterrorism cannot rely solely on kinetic operations. Terrorist violence survives through logistical support systems, local facilitators, propaganda networks, financing channels, and ideological recruitment mechanisms. Therefore, intelligence-based operations must continue alongside broader societal efforts to resist extremist narratives. Media, religious scholars, civil society, educational institutions, and political leadership all have important roles in preventing radicalization and strengthening national cohesion.
The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have endured decades of violence and instability. They deserve peace, economic development, and social stability rather than perpetual conflict imposed by regional militancy.
The martyrs of Fateh Khel symbolize the continuing sacrifices made by Pakistan’s security personnel in defense of the country. Their sacrifice should strengthen national resolve rather than deepen political division.
Pakistan has defeated terrorism before through unity, resilience, and coordinated state action. The current challenge demands the same clarity of purpose. Terrorism cannot be tolerated, rationalized, or politically manipulated. It must be confronted collectively as a threat to the entire nation and the stability of the wider region.
