Regrettably, tribal areas have once again descended into a period reminiscent of the darkest days of the early 21st century. The spectre of terrorism and violent militancy is not only hovering over law enforcement personnel and government officials, but it is equally targeting civilians alike. The recent attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have intensified debates about the causes of this wave of terrorism. Would it be possible to attribute the venomous militancy to one or more factors? Or rather, it is again flourishing in the backdrop of the new Great Game of the 21st century.

According to a recent terrorism index report, Pakistan ranks second as the country most affected by terrorism, with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) emerging as the world’s fastest-growing terrorist organisation, leading to a 90% increase in deaths linked to its attacks. Reports like this and the growing reality mirror that Pakistan is badly entangled in a worse situation, which needs to be discerned to understand the myriad issues at hand, making this region fertile for terrorism and militancy.

Primarily, the Taliban coup has significantly contributed to the mushrooming terrorism in Pakistan. No one can deny the support and facilitation the TTP and other militant groups are receiving from their spiritual and religious leaders, who are holding the doors of the Afghan government. The TTP ranks and files still pledge allegiance to the Afghan Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhunzada. Even the author has vehemently cautioned about the spillover effect of the fall of Kabul in 2021 in one of his columns published in Pakistan Observer titled “Uncertain and Chaotic Afghanistan: Repercussions........

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