Centre, provinces agree on joint anti-terror plan
• Federal govt assures federating units of resources, technical support
• Talal wary of terrorist attacks after air strikes on Afghanistan
• Says camps hit were linked to groups staging attacks on Pakistani soil
ISLAMABAD: The federal and provincial governments on Wednesday agreed on a joint strategy to restore peace and stability amid a surge in terrorist attacks across the country.
The understanding was reached at a high-level meeting on law and order, chaired by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry. The meeting was attended by the federal interior secretary, provincial inspectors general of police, provincial home secretaries and the Islamabad chief commissioner and police chief.
The development comes against the backdrop of increasing attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, by terrorist groups the state refers to as Fitna Al-Khawarij (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) and Fitna Al-Hindustan (Balochistan-based terror groups).
During the meeting, the Centre assured provinces of full cooperation, including the provision of resources and technical support to maintain law and order.
“Protection of citizens’ lives and property is the state’s top priority,” Mr Chaudhry said, praising the security forces for their continued efforts.
“The security forces remain resolute and unwavering in their commitment to defend the nation’s frontiers and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” he added.
Speaking to Dawn after the meeting, the minister said participants also assessed the threat environment following Pakistan’s recent air strikes in Afghanistan.
He said the camps targeted belonged to armed groups responsible for a series of recent attacks, including a deadly suicide bombing at an imambargah in Islamabad.
Mr Chaudhry said key figures behind recent incidents had been trained in Afghanistan and attacks were planned from across the border.
He said Pakistan had conclusive evidence that recent attacks were carried out by terrorists and suicide bombers acting at the behest of their leaders and handlers based in Afghanistan.
Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to take verifiable steps to prevent the use of Afghan soil for attacks against Pakistan, but no substantive action has followed, he said.
He called on Afghanistan to implement the Doha Agreement in letter and spirit, which bars the use of its territory for terrorism, instead of falling into the hands of another of Pakistan’s hostile neighbours.
While Pakistan sought peaceful relations with all neighbours, the security of its citizens remained its top priority and would not be compromised, the minister added.
Mr Chaudhry described 2025 as the worst year in terms of terrorist incidents but said “enough is enough” and vowed coordinated action by federal and provincial governments to eliminate terrorism.
He said institutional mechanisms for threat alerts, assessments and responses were functioning effectively and had helped prevent major terrorist attacks across the country in recent weeks.
Retaliatory attacks
Separately, Mr Chaudhry told Reuters that Pakistan had boosted security and arrested dozens of suspects as it fears a rising wave of terrorist attacks following its air strikes in Afghanistan.
“Our forces are on high alert to combat any attacks,” he said, adding that terrorists often retaliate when their hideouts are targeted.
Mr Chaudhry said the retaliatory attacks by terrorists proved Islamabad’s case that they had linkages in Afghanistan, adding that the forces had averted several attacks in recent weeks and arrested a number of suspects, including Afghans.
Security forces have accelerated search and intelligence-based operations and have arrested dozens of suspected terrorists, their handlers and their facilitators, the minister said.
Reuters also reported that alerts have been issued for a possible surge in terror attacks in Pakistan in the coming days.
Urban centres, markets, security forces and places of worship could be possible targets, according to the alerts, the sources told the news agency.
“We have been given a strong caution about more terror attacks in our official communications. “In this regard, we have almost doubled our search operations across Pakistan,” said an intelligence official.
Another intelligence official said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan were already under terror attacks and “we fear that Afghanistan will retaliate against Pakistan through terror networks in Punjab and Sindh as well”.
Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2026