n March 18, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Asim Munir stressed the need for better governance and transforming Pakistan into a hard state to eliminate terrorism.

“For how long shall we continue to fill the governance gaps with the blood of armed forces martyrs?” he said while addressing a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security. The COAS stressed the need for a consensus narrative to defend and protect Pakistan. He urged all stakeholders to rise above personal and political differences. “Nothing is more important than the country’s security. Our existence is tied to the country,” he said. The meeting, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, was also attended by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif; members of the parliamentary committee; political leaders; director generals of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau; and key federal ministers.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Sharif said that the Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies were thwarting the nefarious designs of anti-state elements. “The 250 million people of Pakistan stand by the defenders of the nation, the armed forces and law enforcement agencies. Those who do not stand for the country, the nation, the armed forces and the martyrs and the wounded are [in practice] siding with the terrorists.” The prime minister also read out a declaration unanimously adopted by the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, reiterating the nation’s resolve to eradicate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

The meeting stressed the need for consensus and unified political commitment to combat terrorism. Lauding the valour and professionalism of the security forces, the meeting reiterated the unwavering national resolve to eliminate terrorism in all its forms. “The committee emphasised strategic and unified political commitment to counter the terror threat with the full might of the state,” added the statement issued at the end of the meeting. The moot strongly condemned the recent incidents of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The latest wave of terrorist violence began on February 28, when a suicide bomber targeted Darul Uloom Haqqania in Nowshera. The attack resulted in the death of six people, including Maulana Hamid-ul Haq Haqqani, the head of the seminary and a key leader of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Sami.

Two weeks later, on March 12, militants hijacked Jaffar Express. The brazen assault led to a deadly standoff, leaving 25 people dead. This included 21 civilians and four security personnel.

On March 16, a suicide bomber attacked a security forces convoy in Balochistan’s Noskhi district, leaving three security personnel and two civilians dead.

The in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security was chaired by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif; members of the parliamentary committee; political leaders; the army chief; director generals of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau and key ministers were also present.

On March 15, Mufti Munir Shakir, an influential religious leader, was critically injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off in the Urmarr locality of Peshawar. He was rushed to Lady Reading Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Shakir had become prominent in the early 2000s when he arrived in Bara tehsil of Khyber district and aligned with Haji Namdar. However their ideological differences led to a bitter conflict. Using an FM radio station, Shakir spread his ideas, recruiting followers and inciting violence.

In 2004, he was expelled from Bara amid growing tensions with some local tribal elders. He later rebranded his group as Lashkar-i-Islam. The LI drew support from the Sipah and Malikdinkhel tribes. The movement quickly became embroiled in a violent power struggle with Pir Saif-ur Rehman, who had considerable following in Khyber. The rivalry escalated into an armed conflict in 2005. Local elders intervened and forced them both to leave the region.

With Shakir sidelined, Mangal Bagh, a militant commander, took control of Lashkar-i-Islam. Under his leadership, the group enforced a strict social code, banning music and movies, collecting levies and attacking security forces.

The security forces launched several operations against the LI, pushing them into the Tirah valley. However, despite military action and an official ban announced in 2008, the Lashkar-i-Islam continued to operate in the region, carrying out sporadic attacks for over a decade. Mangal Bagh remained at the helm until his death in a 2021 drone strike in Afghanistan.

Shakir had recently been running Jamia Masjid Nida-i-Quran in Urmarr, Peshawar.

Barrister Dr Muhammad Ali Saif, the KP government spokesperson, condemned the attack, stating, “Attacks on religious scholars are extremely concerning and condemnable. The killers of innocent people are enemies of all humanity.”

On March 16, a suicide bombing targeted a security forces’ post in Mir Ali, North Waziristan. The explosion caused severe damage and led to the martyrdom of seven soldiers, including two officers.

The recent attacks in Nowshera, North Waziristan,Peshawar, Mohmand and Dera Ismail Khan show that the security situation in KP remains volatile. According to a report, there have been 68 terrorist attacks targeting police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year, in which 26 policemen have been martyred and 30 injured. On March 20, Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur directed the Finance Department to immediately release of Rs 5.5 billion to strengthen and reinforce the police force in the province.

The writer is a freelance journalist and a social activist.