September's figures released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) paint a grim portrayal of Pakistan's deteriorating security landscape. The report establishes what ordinary citizens already sense: a sharp increase in terrorist incidents, while the state appears to be ill-prepared to address the challenge. According to PICSS, the country witnessed a 27 per cent increase in terror attacks in September 2025 compared to the previous month. These attacks left 77 people dead and 124 injured, with 71 militant operations recorded across the country. While militant losses are reported, the brunt of the violence continues to be borne by security forces and civilians alike.

The report indicates several troubling dimensions. First, the geographic spread of terrorism is widening. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces remain the epicentres, but incidents in Punjab and Sindh suggest that militancy may engulf other parts. Second, suicide bombings and IED blasts are regaining frequency - tactics that had once been significantly curtailed after Operation Zarb-e-Azb. Third, the targeting of law enforcement agencies remains persistent, eroding both morale and operational capacity.

These figures must not be taken in isolation and as mere statistics. Each incident represents a collapse in the writ of the state, a loss of innocent lives and a signal to hostile actors - domestic or foreign - that Pakistan's counterterrorism architecture has again been weakened.

What is perhaps most concerning is the absence of........

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