AS lives continue to be lost in Pakistan’s renewed battle against terrorism and violent extremism, the role played by the national leadership has left much to be desired. In recent weeks, representatives of the state and the federation have blamed KP’s political leadership for much that ails the country with respect to the deteriorating national security situation. On the other hand, the civilian leadership of KP, as well as the leader of the party that runs it, have chosen to take their own hard-line stance against the federal government and the state, publicly questioning and rejecting the centre’s counterterrorism doctrine and blaming its ‘flawed policies’ for the resurgence of terrorism-related incidents in the country. All that this finger-pointing has achieved is to needlessly politicise a highly sensitive issue for Pakistan: how must one deal with enemies that have embedded themselves within its social fabric and are often indistinguishable from ordinary citizens? The stakes are enormous — unless the resurgence in terrorism is firmly addressed, it could set the country back by years. Sadly, it often seems that our leaders do not wish to address the problem meaningfully.

Both sides seem to be at fault in the matter. There are limits to what force alone can achieve, and it has been pointed out often enough that the fight against terrorism cannot be resolved simply by imposing a solution on the people most affected by it. This is something the federation must reflect on and work to address. Merely issuing statements of commendation for the sacrifices being made is not enough. The Constitution says that the nation must be run according to the will of the people, and the will of the people must therefore be respected. At the same time, the political leadership of KP must also choose its battles wisely. Where citizens’ lives are at risk, there can be no room for any second-guessing about what the path forward should be. The elements wreaking havoc in the name of their warped ideologies have demonstrated time and again that their interests do not align with those of ordinary Pakistani men and women. It should not appear in any way that they deserve any sympathy. It is high time for the federation to call a ‘ceasefire’ on its internal strife and for its political rivals to do the same. One cannot keep repeating mistakes and expecting different results.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2025