The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faces persistent militancy that can only be understood through its historical context. Rather than isolated incidents, the current waves of terrorism are rooted in decades of regional conflict. They remain deeply tied to broader regional dynamics, institutional weaknesses and the evolving security environment along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The roots of the crisis trace back to the Soviet-Afghan War of the 1980s, when the borderlands transformed into critical conduits for fighters, weaponry and resources. Militant networks and ideologues gravitated toward this frontier belt - and they did not dissipate following the Soviet withdrawal.

The situation took a lethal turn following the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent US-led intervention in Afghanistan. As US and NATO forces deployed on the ground, Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters retreated into Pakistan's tribal belt. In response, the Pakistan Army deployed to the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas, particularly North and South Waziristan. What initially appeared to be a border-security challenge gradually escalated into a sustained insurgency.

To better understand its trajectory, the evolution of terrorism in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the former FATA can be divided into three distinct phases: an initial escalation and peak from 2003 to 2014; a substantial decline from 2015 to 2019; and a renewed resurgence from 2020 onward.

The first phase proved to be the most devastating. South and North Waziristan, Swat, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Peshawar, and adjoining districts witnessed rampant suicide bombings, targeted killings, attacks on security forces, and large-scale civilian displacement. During this........

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