The usual bluff and bluster of Islamabad as its policymakers scramble from one alley to another in their pursuit of a sovereign remedy is beginning to sound all the more redundant in the light of the unrelenting zeal of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Not planning on sitting idle, the determined militant outfit did not even wait for the coffins to be lowered in Peshawar before horrifying us with yet another attack on another police property. By pointing their guns at Mianwali, a city neither located in the areas bordering Afghanistan nor in the far-flung provinces, the enemy has made its point loud and clear: it would be foolhardy to assume anyone is safe from their wrath. Though Punjab police were better equipped to successfully repulse the onslaught by the heavily-armed group and claims to have launched a grand operation in the province, the men running our security establishment cannot run from the elephant in the room. What allowed a group of rag tags to come out from burned and battered strongholds, regain strength and strike with the ferocity of a dreaded dragon? How can the civil-military leadership expect millions of Pakistanis to believe in their resolve to bring about a new, safe tomorrow when the ghosts of their tactical blunders appear keen on staying on? For years, policies like good/bad Taliban; rehabilitation of the militia and building bridges with Kabul continued to make a strong case and convince the masses that they would soon celebrate a historic win. Alas! Our friends in Afghanistan are only interested in playing devil’s advocate for their brethren-in-arms; taunting us along the way. Instead of paying attention to the deadly resurgence in the North, the state employed a bizarre crackdown against the very people who had dared step out in protest. Pakistan needs to put its house in order. No qualms about that. But it is not 2014 anymore and a decisive strike would, hence, have to be planned in accordance with a frugal use of precious resources. Even before we look towards Afghan Taliban and try to win them over against the provision of safe havens and logistic support to TTP, bringing all relevant stakeholders on the same page in this caustic day and age is much, much easier said than done. *