Sindhiya Gupta
Pakistan is spiraling into a security crisis that highlights the cost of decades of ill-advised strategies. A reliance on fostering alliances with extremist elements for regional influence now appears to be backfiring catastrophically. A recent report by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) exposes alarming security lapses and the failure of these policies to secure long-term stability.
The report reveals that terrorist attacks surged by 70% in 2024 compared to the previous year, with 521 incidents resulting in 852 deaths and 1,092 injuries. These figures evoke memories of the violent pre-2015 era, culminating in tragedies like the 2014 Peshawar Army Public School attack. Today, the consequences of Pakistan’s flawed security policy are becoming increasingly evident as the nation battles a resurgent wave of terrorism.
The tribal regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan have borne the brunt of militant violence, accounting for over 95% of the incidents reported. KP recorded 295 attacks, leaving 509 dead and 517 injured. In Balochistan, the violence escalated by 84%, with 202 attacks claiming 322 lives and injuring 534. Groups like the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) have taken advantage of the state’s failures. The BLA’s attacks alone caused 225 fatalities, rivalling the 300 lives lost to the TTP’s violence in 2024. Meanwhile, the sharp rise in sectarian clashes in KP’s Kurram district—killing 234 compared to 43 in 2023—reflects the absence of effective conflict management.
Pakistan’s past tolerance of extremist factions as tools of regional policy has created a dangerous precedent. The state’s ambivalence toward groups like the TTP and its failure to curtail cross-border support networks have emboldened militants. Sanctuaries in Afghanistan have provided insurgents with the resources to launch attacks, underscoring the unintended consequences of these alliances.
Moreover, the military’s disproportionate focus on political engineering rather than securing the borders has left the security apparatus overstretched and unprepared. This misallocation of resources has allowed militant groups to exploit vulnerabilities in KP and Balochistan with devastating consequences. While security forces killed 932 militants in 2024, these operations are reactionary at best. Without addressing the systemic issues—such as the lack of coordination between federal and provincial governments and insufficient police capabilities in conflict zones—such actions will remain a temporary fix.
The alienation of local populations, particularly in Balochistan, where grievances over enforced disappearances and socioeconomic neglect fuel separatist sentiments, further complicates counterterrorism efforts. These issues provide fertile ground for insurgencies like the BLA to thrive, highlighting the broader failure of governance in conflict regions.
Pakistan is now paying the price for decades of neglecting governance and prioritizing short-term strategic gains. The current resurgence of militancy is a direct result of policies that prioritized fostering proxies over fostering peace. Until this mindset shifts, the nation will continue to grapple with the fallout.
The time for excuses is over. Addressing this crisis demands a radical overhaul of counterterrorism strategies, grounded in the recognition that alliances with extremist elements are inherently unsustainable. If Pakistan hopes to secure lasting peace, it must abandon its reliance on proxies, focus on governance, and rebuild trust with its people.
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Sindhiya Gupta is a Media Analyst and Editor of The News Wire.
