RENOWNED religious scholar Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani of Darul Uloom Haqqania was killed recently when a suicide blast ripped through the seminary in Nowshera. Five other people also lost their lives in the incident, while 18 suffered injuries.

A similar incident was also reported in Kalat, Balochistan, where a military convoy was attacked by a female suicide bomber, resulting in multiple casualties. These are all worrying signs.

The menace of terrorism in Pakistan has seen a surge this year, mainly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan. Multiple insurgent and terrorist groups are killing innocent people, security personnel and government officials.

According to the Annual Security Report 2024 issued by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), the country suffered 2,546 violence-linked fatalities and 2,267 injuries among civilians, security personnel and outlaws. KP and Balochistan accounted for 95 per cent of all terrorist attacks in the country.

The chaos has deepened, growing more severe by the day. The culprits have taken their tactics to a full-scale military level, luring innocent masses based on religious and nationalist ideologies.

Many educated individuals are mani-pulated through religious sentiments, personal grievances, and a false sense of belonging. Besides, they use social media propaganda, financial incentives and peer influence to gradually radicalise individuals.

This turmoil demands an urgent solution. The government and security officials must make a move now. If the menace spirals further out of control, it will be that much harder to control it. The streak of unrest must come to an end.

Name withheld on request
Jaffarabad

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2025