Hasdan Khan
On June 28, 2025, another horrific terrorist attack struck Mir Ali in North Waziristan a region soaked in the blood of martyrs, where tragedy has become all too familiar. A military vehicle of the Pakistan Army was targeted with a car bomb packed with a staggering 800 kilograms of explosives. One brave soldier embraced martyrdom, and several civilians were injured. But beneath the smoke and rubble lies an even more alarming truth one we can no longer afford to ignore: the terrorists were once again aided, abetted, and sheltered by locals.
This is not merely an act of terror; it is a stain of betrayal.
The most troubling aspect of this attack, as with many before it, is the silent and sometimes active facilitation of militants by members of the very communities that claim to yearn for peace. Why? What are the motivations behind this treacherous cooperation? If it is for money, then trading the blood of Pakistan’s sons for petty financial gain is a disgrace of the highest order. It is not just cowardice it is collaboration with the enemies of the state.
How was a car packed with nearly a ton of explosives prepared in a populated area without drawing attention? Did no one see it? Did no one hear anything? Are we to believe that the vehicle was loaded overnight and housed somewhere in the locality, yet not a single voice rose to warn the authorities? That the vehicle quietly rolled onto the road at 7 a.m. without raising suspicion?
These are not abstract questions they are a direct challenge to the silence, indifference, and sometimes open complicity that continues to plague these regions.
This is not an isolated incident. Time and again, from Mir Ali to other parts of Waziristan and Khyber, terrorists have used local homes, mosques, and even marketplaces as launching pads for attacks on security forces. These ambushes are only possible because some people among the local population choose to assist or look the other way.
There are homes in these areas that are known sanctuaries for militants. Terrorists exploit the presence of women and children as human shields, knowing full well that Pakistani security forces bound by principles of humanity will never strike civilian targets indiscriminately. This calculated tactic gives them the freedom to plan, prepare, and execute their deadly missions.
Yet when the security forces respond, the same voices that stayed silent when terrorists took shelter begin crying out in protest: “Our homes are under attack!” But they never reveal that it was from these very homes that bullets were fired. These were the houses where the enemies of the state hid, regrouped, and attacked again.
This hypocrisy was seen clearly in Tirah Valley, Maidan, Malikdin Khel, and Nakter Ada where similar attacks on security posts were launched from civilian homes. These are not allegations; there is undeniable video evidence.
When the military asks families to evacuate houses known to harbor terrorists, they are painted as aggressors, while the real villains — those who kill in the name of ideology and use civilians as shields — are never condemned by the same locals. The silence is not just complicity it is consent.
Let us ask the hard questions:
Is giving sanctuary to terrorists not an unforgivable betrayal of the nation?
Is allowing your homes to become weapons of war not a crime against humanity?
Is watching in silence while militants kill our soldiers and then pretending to be victims not the worst form of hypocrisy?
Make no mistake these terrorists are not fighting for faith or freedom. They are merchants of blood and chaos, destroying our land, our law, and the very future of our children. Cloaked in the false garb of religion, they are the enemies of Islam, Pakistan, and all that we hold sacred.
Now is the time for truth and courage. Every Pakistani must stand up and say: Enough.
No more excuses. No more silence. No more sanctuary for terrorists no matter who they are, or where they come from.
This is not just the military’s war. This is the war of every patriotic citizen. This is the war of every parent who wants their child to live without fear. This is the war of every student, every laborer, every citizen who believes in a peaceful, sovereign, and secure Pakistan.
We must make a choice. Either we stand with the defenders of the homeland or we remain complicit in its destruction. There is no middle ground. Not anymore.
