Terrorism, memory and the politics of simplification |
An intense and emotionally charged debate is once again underway over the stance of the Government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on terrorism, particularly following recent statements by provincial leadership questioning dominant narratives on militancy and cross-border dynamics.
Federal representatives and their political allies have accused the provincial government of echoing the Afghan Taliban's line, while the ruling party in the province maintains that its position has been selectively interpreted and politically weaponised.
Amid this charged environment, a meeting of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Apex Committee — chaired by the Chief Minister and attended by the Corps Commander — was a welcome reminder that when the stakes are existential, institutional sanity tends to prevail. It reaffirmed a simple but often forgotten truth: all stakeholders are ultimately in the same boat. The situation, therefore, demands comprehension rather than caricature, and strategic clarity rather than tactical point-scoring.
There is little room for disagreement on one fundamental point. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is once again experiencing a sustained surge in terrorist violence. The year 2025, now behind us, recorded the highest number of terrorist incidents in the province since the post-2014 decline, surpassing even 2024 levels.
More than 600 attacks were reported during 2025, with fatalities exceeding 1,300, making it the deadliest year in over a decade for the province. This trajectory, entering 2026, should alarm policymakers across the political spectrum.
Yet the gravity of the moment requires more than rhetorical outrage or moral grandstanding. It........