Persisting security challenge

WHILE Pakistan remained preoccupied with facilitating talks between the US and Iran, the public discourse largely overlooked critical developments on other fronts, particularly internal security challenges, a worsening relationship with Afghanistan, and the approaching first anniversary of the Pakistan-India stand-off. The enthusiasm surrounding Pakistan’s role in a high-stakes global diplomatic effort has, in many ways, diverted attention from pressing domestic and regional concerns. In this fixation with great power diplomacy, media and opinion-makers have also failed to adequately reflect on how the war is affecting the ordinary citizen. While one can’t look at the sky and ground at the same time, walking while gazing upwards can be dangerous, especially on a bumpy terrain. We need a reality check: since the US-Israel war with Iran started on Feb 28, Pakistan’s security situation has worsened. If one looks at the data and compares the two quarters from October-December 2025 and January-March 2026, the total number of attacks rose from 128 to 169, while fatalities more than doubled from 169 to 349, showing a clear rise in both the frequency and severity of violence. The rise was largely driven by TTP, the Gul Bahadur group, IS-K, and other groups with similar objectives, whose attacks increased by 68 per cent (from 81 to 136). In contrast, Baloch insurgent attacks declined by 25pc (from 44 to 33), but fatalities surged by 630pc (from 23 to 168), indicating a shift towards fewer yet deadlier operations. April also witnessed 55 attacks, indicating that the Urumqi talks had little to no effect. These attacks do not include cross-border terrorist incursions, which continue, with both Afghanistan and Pakistan trading barbs and accusing each other of cross-border firing. All this affects civilian populations and the livelihoods of people living along the border. Meanwhile, a new feature gradually gaining ground in the country’s security landscape is the growing use of c