The beginning of 2026 proved highly challenging for Pakistan across multiple fronts. The country faced severe blows to its internal security, spanning from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Balochistan, largely driven by cross-border infiltrations by the Afghanistan-based Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) militants, and the allegedly Indian-backed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in Balochistan. Various urban centres, including the provincial capital, Quetta, along with towns, military installations, and government buildings, became frequent targets of coordinated assaults and devastating suicide bombings.

Despite repeated warnings issued to the Taliban-led Afghan interim government to dismantle these militant safe havens, diplomatic channels ultimately yielded no results. Consequently, Pakistan retaliated by launching direct airstrikes against TTP camps and ammunition depots inside Afghan territory. Dubbed Operation "Ghazab-lil-Haq" (Righteous Rage), the military campaign struck several key Afghan cities and provinces, including Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, Paktika, Kunar, Nangarhar, and Khost. This cross-border intervention sparked highly polarised reactions at home, igniting widespread outrage across Pakistan's own Pashtun belt over the air force's strikes inside Afghanistan.

However, domestic sentiment and the national discourse suffered an even more serious disruption when Israel and the United States (US) launched a coordinated attack on Iran on 28 February 2026. Designated "Operation Epic Fury", the campaign featured devastating airstrikes on Iranian military installations, top political and military leadership, and nuclear facilities, resulting in the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, at the very outset of the war. Despite being actively engaged in a volatile border conflict with Afghanistan, Pakistan chose to play a mediating role between Iran and the United States, collaborating closely with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt. This diplomatic push followed intensive deliberations and telephone conversations among regional heads of state, aimed at navigating a crisis in which all parties were absorbing massive military, economic, and domestic political shocks.

Much of this global fallout was tied directly to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime choke point that halted the flow of oil and gas from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states to Asia and Europe. Early........

© The Friday Times