Editorial
Pakistan’s struggle against terrorism is entering a new phase in which cross-border sanctuaries have become a central challenge. While some Pashtun-centric political parties urge restraint, the prevailing national sentiment strongly supports decisive measures against militant hideouts that threaten Pakistan’s security.
For many Pakistanis, the issue ultimately comes down to a simple but powerful principle: a state has both the right and the responsibility to protect its citizens. When terrorists launch attacks from external sanctuaries, taking action to neutralize those threats becomes not only a strategic choice but a national obligation.
Pakistan is once again confronting a difficult security challenge along its western frontier. A renewed wave of terrorist attacks originating from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan has reignited a national debate about how Pakistan should respond to the threat. While the vast majority of the Pakistani public, along with the state and its security institutions, support decisive action against terrorist hideouts across the border, three political parties with strong Pashtun political bases have publicly demanded that Pakistan halt any cross-border strikes inside Afghanistan against terrorists.
This divergence of views reflects a broader tension between political sensitivities and the urgent realities of national security. For Pakistan, the issue is not simply about diplomacy or political positioning; it is about protecting the lives of its citizens, soldiers and children who have increasingly become targets of terrorist violence.
Over the past several years, Pakistan has experienced a resurgence of terrorism, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Many of these attacks have been attributed to terrorist groups that operate from sanctuaries across the border in Afghanistan. Pakistani authorities have repeatedly stated that organizations such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and BLA and allied terrorist factions have established operational bases in Afghan territory.
These groups use the porous border and difficult terrain to plan attacks inside Pakistan and then retreat back into Afghan territory where they remain beyond the reach of Pakistani law enforcement and security forces. Intelligence reports and captured militants have frequently indicated that these cross-border sanctuaries serve as training camps, logistical hubs and command centers for terrorist networks targeting Pakistan.
For Islamabad, the strategic challenge is clear: counterterrorism becomes extremely difficult when terrorist organizations enjoy safe havens just across the border.
The Pakistani state has consistently argued that effective counterterrorism requires neutralizing threats before they materialize. This principle is not unique to Pakistan; it is a doctrine widely practiced by many states confronting cross-border terrorism.
The logic behind this strategy is straightforward. If terrorist groups are allowed to organize, train and launch operations from external sanctuaries, defensive measures within national borders will always be reactive rather than preventive. As a result, Pakistan’s security planners increasingly emphasize pre-emptive actions aimed at dismantling militant infrastructure before attacks are carried out. From this perspective, striking terrorist hideouts before they launch attacks is an act of self-defence rather than aggression.
Despite the widespread public anger over rising terrorism, three political parties with strong Pashtun constituencies have voiced opposition to cross-border military operations inside Afghanistan. These parties argue that such actions could escalate tensions between the two neighboring countries and further destabilize the already fragile border region. They forget that terrorists living inside Afghanistan had martyred over 110,000 citizens of Pakistan, a majority of them were Pashtuns.
Their concerns are rooted partly in historical, ethnic and social ties that exist across Pak-Afghan border. The Pashtun population lives on both sides of the border, and political leaders from Pashtun-dominated parties often emphasize the importance of maintaining peaceful relations with Afghanistan although terrorists coming from Afghanistan mostly strike Pashtuns population and Pashtuns areas.
However, critics of these positions argue that while diplomatic caution is understandable, it cannot come at the cost of Pakistan’s national security or the safety of its citizens.
Across Pakistan, public frustration with terrorist attacks has grown steadily. Suicide bombings, targeted killings and assaults on security installations have claimed the lives of soldiers, police officers and civilians alike. Particularly painful for the nation have been attacks on schools, mosques and marketplaces where innocent children and families have lost their lives.
Each new attack strengthens the perception among many Pakistanis that terrorist networks operating from Afghanistan must be confronted directly.
Public discourse in Pakistan increasingly reflects the belief that the country has exercised restraint for too long. Many citizens argue that patience has limits when lives are being lost on a daily basis.
The phrase “enough is enough” has become a common sentiment expressed in media discussions, public debates and political commentary. For many Pakistanis, the question is no longer whether Pakistan should act against terrorist sanctuaries, but how quickly and effectively such actions can be taken.
The Pakistan Army has played a central role in the country’s long struggle against terrorism. Over the past two decades, large-scale operations such as Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad dismantled numerous terrorist networks within Pakistan’s tribal areas and now Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq is killing terrorists inside Afghanistan because after Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad, terrorist outfits were significantly weakened but they shifted their bases across the border into Afghanistan. Pakistani military officials have repeatedly stated that terrorists exploit Afghan territory to regroup, recruit and plan attacks.
From a strategic standpoint, military planners argue that allowing these sanctuaries to exist would undo many of the gains achieved through years of counterterrorism operations inside Pakistan.
Pakistan’s government maintains that it prefers cooperation and coordination with Afghan authorities to eliminate terrorist groups operating along the border. Islamabad has repeatedly called on the Afghan government to prevent its territory from being used for attacks against Pakistan. Diplomatic channels have been used extensively to raise these concerns. However, Pakistani officials have also signaled that if terrorist threats persist, the country reserves the right to defend itself under international law.
Self-defence, particularly against non-state actors launching cross-border attacks, is recognized in international security discourse. Many states confronted with similar threats have adopted comparable strategies.
One of the strongest arguments made by supporters of decisive action is the human cost of inaction. Every terrorist attack not only claims lives but also deepens trauma within communities already affected by years of conflict. Children killed in school attacks, police officers targeted while performing prayers in mosques, performing their duties and soldiers ambushed at border posts are constant reminders of the threat Pakistan faces.
For families who have lost loved ones, the debate over policy options is not theoretical. It is deeply personal.
Many Pakistanis believe that failing to dismantle terrorist networks at their source effectively allows those groups to continue targeting the country’s most vulnerable citizens.
Despite differences in political opinion, one reality remains clear: Pakistan’s society has endured immense suffering due to terrorism. From major cities to remote tribal districts, the scars of violence are visible across the country. This shared experience has created a broad national consensus that terrorism must be defeated at all costs.
While political parties may debate tactics, the overall objective remains the same, ensuring that Pakistan’s citizens can live without fear of terror and violence. The Pakistani public, the government and the armed forces stand united in their determination to eliminate terrorist networks that threaten the country’s stability and future.
As Pakistan navigates this complex situation, the balance between diplomacy, regional stability and firm counterterrorism measures will continue to shape its policy decisions. What remains beyond dispute, however, is the resolve of the Pakistani nation to stand against terrorism and defend the lives of its people.
