(Shamim Shahid) The security landscape of Pakistan’s northwestern frontier is undergoing a dangerous transformation. What was once a conflict characterized by roadside bombs, ambushes and sporadic attacks has now entered a new and more alarming phase. The recent use of drones by terrorist groups in Bannu and Lakki Marwat is a stark reminder that militancy […]
Pakistan’s Counterterrorism Challenge Is No Longer Just About Terrorists The most significant development in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this week was not a gun battle, an intelligence-based operation, or another terrorist attack. It was the quiet emergence of a provincial action plan that appears to recognize a reality Pakistan has struggled with for years: terrorist organizations do
If 16,000 Terrorists Are Already Identified, What’s Taking So Long? Read More »
For years, Pakistan’s concerns regarding Afghanistan were often dismissed as exaggeration, diplomatic posturing, or an attempt to shift responsibility for its own security challenges. Whenever Islamabad raised alarms about terrorist sanctuaries, cross-border facilitation, or hostile actors exploiting Afghan territory, there was always a competing narrative that sought to downplay the threat. Recent developments, however, are
Years of Dialogue, Same Threat: Why Pakistan’s Concerns Persist Read More »
I am seeing that the threat of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is no longer limited to security forces. In fact, I see that educational institutions are also being targeted. Attacks on schools and educational institutions from Tank to Bajaur have proved that the terrorist regime considers educational institutions to be the biggest threat to its thinking and
If Education Is the Enemy, What Exactly Are Terrorists Afraid Of? Read More »
(Shamim Shahid) The evolving security landscape in the region straddling the Durand Line has once again come under intense scrutiny. Two parallel but interconnected developments demand serious reflection: the announcement by the police authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to establish a new cabinet-approved operational unit for counterterrorism purposes, and the continuing claims and counterclaims surrounding the
(Zahir Shah Sherazi) In recent discussions at the United Nations Security Council and subsequent commentary from Pakistani officials, a renewed spotlight has been placed on the evolving security situation in Afghanistan and its wider regional implications. Pakistan’s representatives have reiterated long-standing concerns about cross-border militancy, highlighting alleged sanctuaries of militant groups inside Afghanistan and calling
In international politics, the most consequential developments are often those that occur away from television cameras and dramatic headlines. Diplomacy rarely announces itself with fanfare. Instead, it advances through discreet conversations, patient negotiations, strategic calculations, and the willingness of nations to choose dialogue over confrontation. As reports continue to circulate about a possible diplomatic engagement
The Road to Geneva Runs Through Islamabad Read More »
(Mushtaq Yusufzai) The security situation in Lakki Marwat and the wider southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has once again brought into sharp focus a question that has long troubled policymakers, security analysts, and local communities alike: why does the policing system appear so weak in these areas, and how have parallel power structures emerged that
(Shamim Shahid) The security landscape in the region is once again entering a deeply unsettling phase. Recent developments from Kurram to Kandahar, and from the rugged tribal frontiers to the volatile provinces of Afghanistan, suggest not isolated incidents but interconnected symptoms of a broader and more complex crisis. The attack on a police station in
(Aqeel Yousafzai) Let me begin with the budget because that is where every honest conversation about Pakistan‘s future must begin. Not with the headlines, not with the political theatre, and certainly not with the carefully polished press releases that tell us everything is under control. Begin with the numbers, read between the lines, and the
Myths vs Realities: Is Pakistan’s Defence Budget Really As High As Its Critics Claim? Read More »
