UNFORTUNATELY, Pakistan is a dys- functional state struggling to eliminate the menace of terrorism, and the recent attack on a mosque in Peshawar was yet another reminder of this very fact. The horrible incident has made one wonder how the suicide bomber entered what was supposed to be a high-security zone, which is heavily guarded and one has to cross several checkposts to reach the mosque.

The latest wave of terrorism sweeping across the strategically located parts of the country has testified that its roots are in Afghanistan, and the return of Taliban rule in the land-locked country has given a huge impetus to militancy inside Pakistan.

The recent surge in terrorist incidents, uprooting of bordering fences, and firing on Pakistani security forces are the catastrophic consequences of the appeasement policy and perilous ceasefire with the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which allowed the terrorists to regroup before increasing their activities in the region.

The worsening political and economic crises and the new wave of terrorism have pushed the country close to chaos. We need to implement the National Action Plan (NAP) and give the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) a lead role in dealing with terrorism.

The government and the opposition should stand united in working along- side the security forces to make a comprehensive counterterrorism strategy. Intelligence-based operations against terrorist groups, like it or not, is the only option that we have today.

Zakir Ullah
Mardan

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2023