Terrorism never remains distant from South Asia, particularly in Pakistan. The sound of bombings and gunshots has turned into a norm in modern society. Since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban took over control and formed a de facto government. Since then, there has been a resurgence in terrorist-related attacks. There are many terrorist organizations including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) in Afghanistan, and the Baloch separatists destabilizing the security in Pakistan. According to Global Terrorism Index 2024, Pakistan ranks fourth in the world for terrorist-related deaths. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, the epicenter of violence, are mostly affected by relentless terrorist attacks. This is not only a threat to the internal security of Pakistan but also brewing insecurity and instability in South Asia. Regional tensions, economic inequality, and political competition have already made the region insecure.
Internal challenges; such as the poor economy and political turmoil within Pakistan have hampered the state’s ability to effectively counter terrorism decisively. According to the Dawn report published on January 1, 2024, Pakistan faced a staggering 69 percent in terrorist attacks, 81 percent resultant deaths, and a 60 percent surge in the number of wounded people. The TTP, which bears the main burden of attacks, has used Afghanistan as a sanctuary to plan and conduct cross-border operations. In fact, multiple diplomatic attempts were made by Islamabad, but the Afghan Taliban regime has not done anything yet against the TTP. This has been the major factor behind diminishing friendly relations between Islamabad and Kabul, causing a low level of cooperation in the region. This is not only a problem for Pakistan but also for its immediate neighbors like India, China, and Central Asian countries.
The TTP, which bears the main burden of attacks, has used Afghanistan as a sanctuary to plan and conduct cross-border operations.
Pakistan respects the significance of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan. However, abductions, suicide bombings, Improvised Explosive Device (IED) ambushes, and targeted killings are on the rise and are targeting civilians, security forces personnel, and foreigners. According to the Al-Jazeera report of March 26, 2024, five Chinese workers and the Pakistani driver of this vehicle were bombed which made the foreign investors afraid. Later, on October 7, 2024, BBC reported that “unfortunately, two Chinese nationals have been killed and at least 10 people injured due to blast attack near Karachi airport.” This attack was claimed by the banned outfit Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). Recently, on December 10, 2024, the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) reported that there were 20 Chinese people and 34 injured in 14 terrorist attacks since 2021. China, Pakistan’s strategic and economic ally, has raised grave concerns over the absence of a security situation. Pakistan, owing to its incompetency in providing a strong security mechanism, risks losing significant projects under the CPEC. This ultimately could lead to worsening economic instability.
Pakistan recently launched counter-terrorism operation Azm-e-Istehkam (Resolve for Stability) to counter this menace through operative and legislative measures. The operation also endeavors to achieve a ‘systemic disruption’, the kinetic activities of the Armed Forces together with legal changes to address prosecution difficulties. More than 2800 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) have been conducted against terrorists since January 2024 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Balochistan. Moreover, Pakistan has increased political pressure on the Afghan Taliban to reign in TTP and eradicate their strongholds.
The fact is that terrorism has emerged again as a major threat to the stability of South Asia. South Asia is still one of the most seismically strategic areas of the world bearing unresolved issues like the Kashmir issue and an unstable Afghanistan that makes it more security sensitive. Terrorism could act as an igniter of cross-border conflicts, where these radicals use grudges of previous conflicts to fight their wars. For instance, with the revival of TTP and its possible affiliation with Al-Qaeda or ISIS-K, new attacks might not only happen in Pakistan and Afghanistan but also in India and Central Asian states. This poses a great danger to the stability of the region.
Pakistan alone cannot win the battle to counter-terrorism. To counter terrorism in Afghanistan, China, and other South Asian countries, there is an ever-growing need for regional and international engagement. Future diplomacy with Kabul must again focus on the imperative that the Taliban must cut off relations with militant groups such as the TTP. Pakistan’s government officials and the Pak Army must confront these attacks by conducting more operations like Azm-e-Istehkam and Zarb-e-Istehkam. Moreover, SAARC and other multilateral forums should help intelligence to counter terrorism. Pakistan is the second worst victim of the war on terror after the US. The US already has highlighted the need to invest in counter-terrorism in Pakistan. To completely eradicate terrorism in the region, every South Asian country and stakeholders should collaborate and commit to sustaining peace in the region.
The writer is associated with the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad. He can be reached at muneebpansota[email protected]