While the caretaker interior minister continues with his “business as usual” approach to the resurgence of militancy in Chiral, reports of almost daily skirmishes between the security forces and the TTP members are hard to ignore. That an exchange of fire ensued in the Ursoon area on Sunday was notified through a statement by the military’s media wing. Just as ominous has been the sight of a sealed Torkham border over a round of “indiscriminate firing” from the Afghan side. Sandwiched between trying to protect its own sovereignty and forcing an aggressive neighbour to abide by internationally-defined boundaries, Pakistan is fast running out of civil options. In an ideal world, sending a sternly worded demarche to Kabul, which served as a reminder of the Doha Agreement, would have been enough to knock some sense against the proliferating support of extremist elements and their nefarious agendas. However, Islamabad should not have taken this long to realise that the Taliban government is no longer friendly. The construction of illegal structures and glaring visuals of TTP commanders donning weapons and equipment that used to belong to American soldiers is enough proof of whose side those sitting on Kabul remain. If hollow words could suffice, their announcements against the use of Afghan soil for attacks carried out against other countries would have pressurised military factions to cut ties with fighters in Pakistan’s torn northwest. Simply expecting them to honour their “word” would not do, anymore. Like it or not, Pakistan would have to beef up military installations and keep a close eye on cross-border movement. Fencing the sensitive border regions so that no group can even think about repeating September 6 is a good starting point and has been demanded by local jirga. By visiting Chitral and making it secure, the Army Chief can send a powerful message to Kabul: Pakistan is done extending olive branches for dagger-stabs. *