Business Recorder
EDITORIAL: The renewed wave of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is a grim reminder that Pakistan’s security challenges remain far from over. The recent attacks in Hangu, South Waziristan, and Bajaur that claimed the lives of eleven innocent civilians, including children, and injured 16 others underline the tragic human cost of militancy. While the security forces continue to conduct intelligence-based operations against terrorist hideouts and infiltration attempts from across the Afghan border, the persistence of violence suggests that kinetic responses alone cannot guarantee lasting peace. The takeover of a police check-post, a school, and Shinwari Fort by TTP militants — officially designated as Fitna al-Khawarij — in Hangu demonstrates both the operational capability and growing confidence of terrorist networks operating in the border regions. Equally disturbing is the fact that civilians continue to bear the brunt of these confrontations. Mortar shells fired during clashes on Thursday landed in populated areas, causing casualties among ordinary people already exhausted by years of conflict and displacement. The earlier killing of prominent religious scholar and local JUI-F leader Maulana Sheikh Muhammad Idris in Charsadda further highlights how extremist violence seeks to silence influential voices and spread fear throughout society. Our valiant security forces deserve all the commendation for carrying out intelligence-based operations and repeatedly foiling infiltration attempts by TTP terrorists along the Afghan border. However, the resurgence of attacks also points to deeper structural and regional problems. The TTP and affiliated factions continue to exploit sanctuaries across the border in Afghanistan. Despite repeated assurances by the Afghan Taliban leadership under the Doha framework that their soil would not be used for attacks against other countries, there has been little practical progress on the ground. The inability — or unwillingness — of Afghan Taliban to curb the activities of their ideological allies has become a major source of tension between the two neighbouring countries and a matter of growing concern farther afield. At the same time, this complex challenge cannot be viewed solely through a military lens. Militancy thrives where governance is weak, economic opportunities are scarce and public trust in state institutions is eroded. Lasting peace in KP will require sustained investment in development, education, and the rehabilitation of conflict-affected communities. Protecting schools, hospitals and civilian infrastructure must remain a top priority for both the provincial and federal governments. On the diplomatic front, Islamabad is right to continue engaging influential regional players such as China and Russia, both of which maintain diplomatic and economic relations with the interim Taliban government. Their influence could help persuade Kabul that regional stability and counterterrorism cooperation are in everyone’s interest. A coordinated regional approach involving security cooperation, intelligence sharing and economic incentives may prove more effective than public recriminations alone. The sacrifices of civilians and security personnel cannot be allowed to fade into routine headlines. Pakistan has demonstrated both resolve and commitment in confronting terrorism through military operations, intelligence coordination and regional diplomacy. What remains uncertain, however, is whether the Afghan Taliban leadership is prepared to match its assurances – during informal talks last month in Urumqi – with meaningful action against groups using Afghan soil to destabilize neighbouring countries. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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