THE elimination of 22 terrorists in an intelligence-based operation in Khyber highlights both the scale and intensity of the ongoing counterterrorism campaign. That such operations are now routine highlights not only the state’s operational capacity but also the persistence of the threat. Data released by Islamabad-based think-tanks point to a sharp escalation in militant violence, with terrorist attacks rising by 34pc and terrorism-related fatalities increasing by 21pc in 2025 from a year ago despite record militant deaths. KP and Balochistan remain the worst affected regions. The spike in attacks and fatalities shows that success on the battlefield is not translating into overall peace and stability. Which, in turn, raises the difficult question about the impact of taking only kinetic action. The fact that over 75,000 operations in a single year have failed to prevent a sharp rise in attacks underscores the need for policymakers to look beyond military responses and develop a coherent long-term strategy that combines kinetic measures with engagement with local communities, rather than relying solely on a war of attrition.

The scope of militant violence has included attacks on investment ventures and workers in sensitive areas in the country. Terrorists are targeting economic assets and civilian workplaces. These reprehensible assaults are a reminder of how terrorists strive to project insecurity by attacking development projects in the country. As human rights groups have noted, civilian victims are entitled to protection under all circumstances. This underscores a dimension often overshadowed in the official narrative: the human cost. The call to prioritise the rights and grievances of local populations, for instance in Balochistan, underpins a long-standing gap in the state’s approach, one that cannot be bridged through force alone. Terrorism cannot be justified under any circumstances. But in order to defeat it, local social, political and economic dynamics should be kept in view while formulating a strategy. In both KP and Balochistan, a complex mix of overlapping factors, such as political disenfranchisement, economic marginalisation, contested resource control and cross-border support for terrorist networks, provides fuel for unrest. No doubt IBOs are essential for disrupting imminent threats and eliminating hardened terrorists. But ignoring the underlying drivers risks turning counterterrorism into an endless cycle of operations.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026