Terrorism Resurges in Pakistan, Igniting Protests and Heightening Security Concerns

Protests against militancy and the powers that be are increasing in Pakistan after a recent suicide attack on a mosque in Peshawar killed 101 people, mostly police officers. The Jan. 30 bombing was one of the deadliest attacks the country has seen in recent years, with a faction of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claiming responsibility.

The attack has added fuel to ongoing protests in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where residents are making it known that they do not want violence and lawlessness to return to the area. This outcry is particularly strong among ethnic Pashtuns who grew up in cities and villages long impacted by the tumultuous dynamic between the Pakistani military, militants in Pakistan, and Afghan Taliban fighters across the border.

Since the Taliban took over in Kabul in 2021, Pakistan has seen an uptick in terrorist attacks, especially in its border regions. The fact that attacks have expanded beyond Pakistan’s tribal areas suggests the TTP has regrouped from inside Afghanistan. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and beyond, the resurgence in terrorism has stirred grievances against both the Afghan Taliban and Pakistan’s military buildup, which protesters say has contributed to insecurity.

The Afghan Taliban brokered peace talks between the TTP and Pakistan last year, but the TTP ended an agreed cease-fire last November, calling for fighters to carry out attacks throughout Pakistan.

The Pashtun Tahafuz (Protection) Movement, a Pashtun human rights movement, is one of the groups that is most vocal about how the Pakistani state approaches terrorism in the border areas. Its criticism of Pakistan’s military establishment has led to a contentious relationship with the government, and several members of the group’s leadership have been arrested and jailed. In heavily militarized areas, the uptick in terrorism brings a fresh feeling of foreboding. Last month, residents of Waziristan province protested for days in response to recent attacks in the area. They called for the state to empower police and local governments to address the violence.

Attacks inside Pakistan have led to tension between Islamabad and the Afghan Taliban regime. Leaders in Kabul have sought international legitimacy based on the promise that they would not harbor terrorist groups on Afghan soil. However, according to a July 2022 report from the U.N. Security Council, as many as 4,000 TTP fighters are based across the border in Afghanistan. In the months after the Taliban takeover, leaders in Pakistan expressed hope that regional dynamics could change after decades of unrest.

But, the peace talks allowed the TTP to regroup. Instead of changing dynamics, Pakistan is left with a surge of terrorism and a population fed up with the lack of safety and security.