It was supposed to be a night of celebration in Dera Ismail Khan. Families gathered for a wedding at a peace committee leader’s home when a thunderous blast tore through the festivities. Seven people lay dead, including the local peace committee head, and many others were wounded. The suicide bomber who infiltrated the gathering was later identified as 21-year-old Abdul Rehman, an Afghan national, said to be indoctrinated by extremist propaganda in his formative years. This carnage in DI Khan is part of a deadly pattern. In fact, all ten major terrorist incidents in Pakistan last year involved Afghan nationals as perpetrators. Pakistan has repeatedly maintained that extremist groups, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have benefited from sanctuaries across the border since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Kabul, for its part, has denied permitting its territory to be used for attacks against Pakistan. Yet the recurrence of such incidents has made it increasingly difficult to sustain confidence in those assurances.
Compounding Pakistan’s peril, another hostile hand lurks behind these terror networks. Pakistan’s security forces carried out a mega-operation in Balochistan’s Panjgur district, eliminating three militants from a group ominously dubbed “Fitna al Hindustan”. Among the dead was a local terror commander linked to attacks on security forces. The military’s media wing, ISPR, has little doubt about who pulls the strings, saying these fighters were “Indian-sponsored terrorists” carrying out a proxy war.
Faced with this twin menace of Afghan safe havens and Indian interference, Pakistan has hardened its resolve. 2025 saw a sharp escalation in militancy, with terrorist attacks rising by 34% and fatalities up by 21% compared to the previous year. The state’s response has been unprecedented. Security forces launched over 75,000 intelligence-based operations across the country last year, from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Balochistan. On Sunday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif publicly lauded the forces for achieving great successes under the ongoing campaign Azm-e-Istehkam. All parties have rallied behind a reinvigorated National Action Plan, sharing the understanding that these militants are khawarij, outcasts with no creed except destruction. However, operational successes–while vital–are only one part of the broader challenge. The deeper test lies in dismantling logistical networks, curbing extremist propaganda, and ensuring governance and justice systems can hold violent actors accountable.
At the diplomatic level, Pakistan will need to pursue consistent, realistic engagement with Kabul, while also encouraging international stakeholders to support a regional framework that discourages militant sanctuaries.
Ultimately, Pakistan’s fight against terrorism requires a coherent national strategy, effective policing and prosecutions, and a political consensus that resists the temptation of short-term narratives. *