Experts warn of challenge to state writ as northwestern Pakistan becomes ‘epicenter’ of militant violence

Security personnel examine the site of a blast in Peshawar district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on March 10, 2024. (AFP/File)
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Updated 02 July 2024
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Experts warn of challenge to state writ as northwestern Pakistan becomes ‘epicenter’ of militant violence

  • New report shows Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province saw highest number of militant attacks, deaths between April to June 2024
  • Federal government has announced new counter-terrorism operation, Azm-e-Istehkam, but opposition parties largely oppose it 

KARACHI: Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province has become an “epicenter of violence,” according to a new report released this week, with security experts warning that militants could likely challenge the writ of the state in parts of the province as the federal government lacks the public and political support to launch military operations.

Released by the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), the report titled, “Overview of Pakistan’s Security Landscape in Q2 2024,” says Pakistan reported 380 deaths and 220 injuries among civilians, security personnel, and outlaws in the second quarter of this year, which took place due to 240 incidents of terror attacks and counter-terror operations.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province saw the highest number of deaths, 67 percent, followed by Balochistan, 25 percent, between April to June 2024, the report added, while the remaining regions of the country were “relatively peaceful.” 

“This aligns with reports of widespread insecurity across the province and a significant influx of TTP fighters from Afghanistan into Pakistan. At this rate, the control of the Pakistani state in various parts of the province is likely to be challenged,” Dr. Asfandyar Mir, a senior expert at the US Institute of Peace, said about the report’s findings of increasing militant violence in KP.

Islamabad has blamed the recent surge in militant attacks on neighboring Afghanistan, which it says allows Pakistani Taliban militants to hold camps and train insurgents to launch attacks inside Pakistan, which Kabul denies. 

Despite Afghanistan’s denial, the TTP’s presence in Afghanistan was documented by the UN and the rest of the world, Mir said. 

Pakistani forces were able to effectively dismantle the TTP and kill most of its top leadership in a string of military operations from 2014 onwards in the tribal areas, driving most of the fighters into neighboring Afghanistan, where Islamabad says they have regrouped. Kabul denies this.

The spike in attacks pushed the federal government to announce last week that it would launch a new counter-terrorism operation, Azm-e-Istehkam, but the campaign has so far been opposed by opposition parties.

Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud, who runs the online security publication, The Khorasan Diary, said the announcement of Azm-e-Isthekhan itself indicated the “severity” of the worsening security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Over the years, militants have regrouped, and launched a spate of attacks routinely, returning the situation to the pre-2014 era,” Mehsud told Arab News, referring to the year when Pakistan launched the full-scale Zarb-e-Azb military offensive against militants in the regions bordering Afghanistan.

“Locals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially those from the former FATA region, are once again trapped in a showdown between Pakistani Taliban factions and the government,” Mehsud said. “Ironically, this time the government lacks political and public support for a fresh military offensive, posing a significant challenge to effectively carrying out counter terrorism operations against militants.”

And while militant factions, both the Pakistani Taliban and Baloch separatists, had increased their revenue in recent years through “border trade, extortion, and Iranian oil smuggling,” in contrast the government faced increasing “financial difficulties.” 

Pakistani leaders were also in a “difficult position” due to the Afghan Taliban, Mir said, who kept insisting the government negotiate with the TTP for a ceasefire.

“They are also not limiting TTP’s violence, which makes them complicit in the TTP’s actions,” Mir added. “On the other hand, the domestic opposition to the recently announced operation will not help. 

“Pakistani leadership must be clear-eyed, and it will take time before they find a manageable equilibrium for this complex challenge.”


Pakistani delegates brief UNSC members on conflict with India, attempt to block Indus waters

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Pakistani delegates brief UNSC members on conflict with India, attempt to block Indus waters

  • Tensions between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India remain high since a four-day military standoff last month
  • New Delhi announced suspending a key water treaty in April a day after a militant attack it blamed on Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A high-level Pakistani delegation, led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, has met representatives of the United Nations Security Council’s elected member states and briefed them on last month’s conflict between India and Pakistan as well as New Delhi’s attempt to block Pakistan’s share of Indus waters, Pakistani state media reported on Monday.

Tensions between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India remain high since they struck a ceasefire on May 10 following the most intense military confrontation between them in decades. Both countries accuse the other of supporting militancy on each other’s soil — a charge both capitals deny.

The latest military escalation, in which the two countries traded missile, drones and artillery fire, was sparked after India accused Pakistan of supporting militants who killed over two dozen tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22. Islamabad denies involvement.

In its meeting with representatives of Denmark, Greece, Panama, Japan and other UNSC member states in New York, the Pakistani delegation highlighted that Islamabad’s response to Indian missile strikes was “measured, responsible and in accordance with the UN Charter,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.

“It briefed the UNSC elected members that [India’s] holding [of] Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance may lead to water shortage, food crisis and environmental disaster in Pakistan,” the report read. 

“The delegation called on the members of the Security Council to move beyond conflict management and actively support conflict resolution in South Asia.”

India announced suspending the 1960 World Bank-brokered treaty, which ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms, a day after the April 22 attack. Islamabad has called for a credible, international probe into the attack and described the Indian move to suspend the treaty as “act of war.”

Bhutto-Zardari told UNSC members that Indian allegations against Pakistan were without any “credible investigation or verifiable evidence,” and that New Delhi’s targeting of innocent civilians and suspension of Indus Waters Treaty was a threat to regional peace, according to the report.

The Pakistani delegates underscored Islamabad’s commitment to restraint and initiation of a comprehensive dialogue to address outstanding issues with India, particularly the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. 

Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have fought three wars, including two of them over the disputed region of Kashmir, since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety but rule it in part.

“The elected members of UN Security Council appreciated Pakistan’s outreach and welcomed its reaffirmation of commitment to peace and diplomacy,” the report said.

“They noted the significance of de-escalation, respect for international law, and the peaceful settlement of disputes emphasized that the UN Charter must guide state conduct, particularly in regions of high sensitivity such as South Asia. They acknowledged the risks posed by any further escalation and stressed the need to pursue diplomatic solutions.”

The Pakistani delegation, led by Bhutto-Zardari, will also visit Washington DC, London and Brussels to present Pakistan’s position on the conflict. Another delegation, led by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi, will visit Moscow this week.

Pakistan’s foreign office earlier said the two delegations will “underscore the imperative for the international community to play its due role in promoting a lasting peace in South Asia.”


Pakistan’s Punjab issues fresh rain alert after 21 killed by storms last month

Updated 02 June 2025
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Pakistan’s Punjab issues fresh rain alert after 21 killed by storms last month

  • Pakistan has seen erratic weather changes leading to frequent heatwaves, untimely rains, storms and droughts in recent years
  • Thunderstorms last month also claimed more than 10 lives and injured 30 others in the neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Monday issued a fresh alert about rains and strong, dusty winds in the province from June 2 till June 5, days after thunderstorms killed nearly two dozen people in Pakistan’s most populous province.

Thunderstorms killed at least 21 people and injured more than 100 others in Punjab as moist currents penetrated upper parts of Pakistan late last month, according to national and provincial disaster management authorities.

More rains and gusty winds are expected in Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiat, Attock, Chakwal, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Jhelum, Gujranwala, Lahore, Kasur, Sialkot, Narowal, Okara, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Khushab, Sargodha, Mianwali, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar districts.

“Citizens should stay in safe places to protect themselves from lightning. The public should never go out under the open sky during thunderstorms and storms,” the PDMA quoted its Director-General Irfan Ali Kathia as saying.

Due to possible rains, it said, the intensity of heat will decrease during the three-day Eid Al-Adha festival, which begins on Saturday.

Kathia said the PDMA has alerted the district administrations as well as health, irrigation, construction and communications, local government and livestock departments.

Pakistan has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns which have led to frequent heat waves, untimely rains, storms, cyclones and droughts in recent years. Scientists have blamed the events on human-driven climate change.

Thunderstorms last month also claimed more than 10 lives, while 30 others sustained injuries in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan’s northwest, according to provincial authorities.

In 2022, devastating floods, blamed on human-driven climate change, killed more than 1,700 Pakistanis, affected another 33 million and caused the country over $30 billion in economic losses.


Pakistan to play in Colombo when India hosts women’s World Cup

Updated 02 June 2025
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Pakistan to play in Colombo when India hosts women’s World Cup

  • India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series since 2013 and play their matches in neutral venues when either country hosts an ICC event
  • Neutral venue arrangement between the countries will also be in place for the men’s T20 World Cup in 2026, which India will co-host with Sri Lanka

Pakistan will play all their women’s 50-over World Cup matches in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo when India hosts this year’s tournament, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Monday.

Politically-estranged India and Pakistan, who have not played a bilateral series since 2013, will play their matches in neutral venues when either country hosts an ICC event, the sport’s global governing body announced in December.

“The venues for the knockouts are dependent on Pakistan qualifying as two alternative venues have been identified for one semifinal and the final,” the ICC said.

“Colombo will be the venue for the first semifinal and the final only if Pakistan qualify for those stages.”

Bengaluru, where the tournament will start with India playing in the opening match, will host the final on November 2 if Pakistan are knocked out earlier in the tournament, the ICC added.

Bengaluru will also stage the second semifinal on October 30, a day after the first semifinal in Colombo or Guwahati. Visakhapatnam and Indore are the two other host cities for the eight-team tournament.

India played all their matches in Dubai when Pakistan hosted the men’s Champions Trophy this year, including the final which they won.

Both the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Pakistan Super League were suspended last month amid clashes between the two countries following an attack targeting tourists that killed 26 people in disputed Kashmir region in April. Matches resumed after a ceasefire was announced.

The neutral venue arrangement between the countries will also be in place for the men’s T20 World Cup in 2026, which India will co-host with Sri Lanka, and the women’s T20 World Cup in 2028 in Pakistan.


Pakistan earmarks $3.5 billion for development projects in upcoming budget

Updated 02 June 2025
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Pakistan earmarks $3.5 billion for development projects in upcoming budget

  • The budget for fiscal year 2025-26 will be announced in the National Assembly on June 10
  • Pakistan’s annual inflation rose to 3.5% in May, though macroeconomic outlook has improved

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Monday that the Finance Division has allocated Rs1 trillion ($3.5 billion) for development projects in the upcoming budget for fiscal year 2025-26.

The 2025–26 budget is expected to be presented by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in Pakistan’s lower house of parliament on June 10, following the Eid Al-Adha holidays, after the government postponed an earlier date of June 2.

Providing the breakdown $3.5 billion development budget, Iqbal said Rs664 billion ($2.3 billion) would be allocated to infrastructure projects, including energy, water, transport, physical planning and housing.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed that Rs120 billion ($426.7 million) be allocated for N25 Chaman-Quetta-Karachi Expressway,” he said at a press conference in Islamabad.

“Rs150 billion ($533.3 million) are for social sectors, special areas, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, have been allocated Rs63 billion ($223.9 million), and merged [tribal] districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been allocated Rs70 billion ($248.4 million).”

Similarly, Rs53 billion ($188.3 million) have been earmarked for science and information technology, Rs9 billion ($32.2 million) for governance and reform projects, and Rs11 billion ($39.1 million) for production sectors, according to the minister.

“The majority [of allocation] is for water, power and highway sector,” he added.

Late last month, Iqbal said Pakistan’s defense spending would be hiked in the upcoming budget as the military would “certainly require” more financial resources to defend the country against India. But neither Iqbal nor any other government official has so far shared any figures. Pakistan’s defense budget currently stands at Rs2.122 trillion ($7.53 billion).

The remarks came days after Pakistan and India attacked each other with missiles, drones and artillery in their worst conflict in decades that killed around 70 people on both sides. The two nations agreed to a ceasefire on May 10 after four days of hostilities sparked by a militant attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir in April.

Pakistan’s annual inflation rate rose to 3.5% in May, though the country’s macroeconomic outlook has improved in recent months, supported by a stronger current account balance, increased remittances and declining inflation.

Authorities remain cautious as they aim to build on recent economic stabilization, guide the country toward gradual growth, and reaffirm their commitment to ongoing economic reforms.


Pakistan announces four-day holiday on Eid Al-Adha

Updated 02 June 2025
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Pakistan announces four-day holiday on Eid Al-Adha

  • Eid Al-Adha is one of two important Islamic festivals, in which Muslims sacrifice animals and share their meat among family, friends and the poor
  • Believers observe the annual festival to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Peace Be Upon Him) to sacrifice his son on God’s command

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has announced a four-day holiday on Eid Al-Adha starting from June 6, the Cabinet Division said on Monday.

Eid Al-Adha is one of the two most important festivals of the Islamic calendar. The other, Eid Al-Fitr, occurs at the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.

Muslims mark the Eid Al-Adha holiday by slaughtering animals such as sheep and goats, and the meat is shared among family and friends and donated to the poor.

“The prime minister has been pleased to declare 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th June, 2025, (Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday) as public holidays on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha,” the Cabinet Division said.

Last week, Pakistan’s moon sighting committee announced that the crescent marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah was not sighted due to unclear skies and the Eid Al-Adha festival would commence from June 7.

Eid Al-Adha is observed on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Peace Be Upon Him) to sacrifice his son on God’s command.

Dhul Hijjah is the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar, a sacred period during which the Hajj pilgrimage takes place. This year, the annual Hajj pilgrimage will commence on June 4.