Terrorism in Pakistan is not a new story, but the way it has returned in recent years feels like a cruel repetition of history. It is tearing through Balochistan's social fabric, dragging Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa back by decades, and pushing an already weak economy closer to the edge. Every bomb that goes off does not just kill people; it silently kills classrooms, hospital wards and job opportunities, because more and more of the state's money and attention are pulled into the security vortex.

There was a brief period, roughly between 2017 and 2020, when many Pakistanis believed the worst of the terrorism era was over. Major networks had been pushed back and urban centres felt safer. Then Afghanistan changed. The Taliban's return in 2021 not only redrew the map of Kabul's politics, it remade the militant geography of the entire region. Groups that had been on the run or in hiding found new space, new sanctuaries and new routes for weapons. The TTP re?energised its campaign, and the BLA stepped out of the shadows with a more ambitious agenda and a sharper media strategy. Once again, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa became the main theatres of violence. In Balochistan, the targets were clear: Chinese nationals, CPEC projects, Punjabi workers and security forces – a mix designed to hit Pakistan's partnerships,........

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