That little regard for safety and international regulations have turned Balochistan’s mines into among the world’s deadliest keeps returning to haunt us whenever a handful of miners get trapped beneath thousands of feet of debris and shattered rock (sometimes, along with methane fireballs). However, on Friday, a nightmare unravelled not in a collapsed mine but in broad daylight when a roadside bomb claimed the lives of at least ten citizens, serving as yet another reminder of the region’s perilous state, the brunt of which is borne by innocent civilians. The harsh reality is that Balochistan has witnessed a staggering 40% increase in terrorist attacks over the past three years. While officials like Provincial Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif voice their condolences, such reactions are grossly inadequate. They ring hollow against the backdrop of a province that accounted for 58% of all terrorism-related fatalities in Pakistan last year, exposing profound flaws within the current security framework. It is painfully clear: mere expressions of sorrow do nothing to stem the tide of violence, nor do they reflect a genuine commitment to public safety. What we need now is a robust, comprehensive counterterrorism strategy that addresses the root causes of this endemic violence instead of improving reactive measures. While responsibility for these attacks remains unclaimed, we cannot ignore the pattern of involvement by groups like the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which has been implicated in nearly all recent acts of terror. From the looks of it, something is still missing in the current strategies, rendering them ineffective against the interconnected web of terrorism, its sympathizers, and cross-border facilitators. We must adopt innovative and participatory approaches to security that view locals as essential partners in this fight. Building trust within communities requires not only a strategic overhaul but also a revolution in the provincial development model. The alarming youth unemployment rate in Balochistan (the highest in the country) fuels disenchantment and vulnerability to extremist ideologies. Investing in education, healthcare, and economic initiatives is, therefore, not a luxury but a vital necessity for mitigating the conditions that breed extremism. Moreover, there must be a tangible commitment to accountability. Government officials may repeatedly assert that the terrorists involved in these heinous incidents will be brought to justice, but so far, we have witnessed minimal results beyond military operations. We need a clear, coherent strategy for holding perpetrators accountable-or else those words remain platitudes. Nothing else. *