It is time to state this in plain, unvarnished terms: Pakistan has been fighting a war— not just against terrorists within its borders— but against an evolving, state-enabled model of destabilisation that uses proxies, safe havens, and strategic ambiguity to strike at our sovereignty. For too long our eastern and western frontiers have been used as battlegrounds in the games of others. The time for patience has run out.
From the western frontier, the reality is unmistakable. Pakistan has sought peace with its neighbours— including Afghanistan— and openly reaffirmed, as COAS Fieild Marshal Asim Munir recently stated, that we “seek peace with all neighbours… but will not allow cross-border terrorism to be perpetrated from Afghan soil.” Yet, while Pakistan extends the hand of diplomacy, Afghan territory continues to shelter the banned Tehrik Taliban Pakistan and allied militant networks whose attacks across the border have escalated sharply throughout 2025. Pakistan has, in effect, formally delivered what it termed a “final warning” to the Afghan regime: tolerance of sanctuaries and protection of militant leadership will no longer be accepted.
From the east, a similarly dangerous pattern persists. Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies have repeatedly asserted that its eastern neighbour is financing and facilitating militant groups operating from Afghan soil— or, at the very least, exploiting them to threaten Pakistan’s security. In April, the Directorate General ISPR stated that “India is the main sponsor of terrorism in Balochistan,” explicitly linking the deadly attack on the Jaffar Express to Indian-backed proxies. Though full disclosures remain classified, the pattern is consistent and public: militants strike Pakistan from across the border, and their enablers lie beyond our control— actors who benefit from regional chaos and Pakistan’s distraction.
Despite the persistent hostility of its neighbours and repeated efforts to malign its image through propaganda, Pakistan has displayed remarkable restraint, strategic clarity, and diplomatic poise. It has neither succumbed to provocation nor abandoned its pursuit of regional peace, even when goodwill has been met with betrayal. Today, Pakistan’s strength lies not only in its security apparatus but in its renewed global credibility— evident in the return of international confidence and engagement. This truth must be recognised: Pakistan is not the problem; it is the stabilising force in a region repeatedly undermined by India’s political opportunism and Afghanistan’s governance failures. The narrative of “terrorism,” weaponized for years against Pakistan, has served as a smokescreen for interventionist ambitions. Pakistan’s resilience— political, moral, and strategic— stands as testimony that no propaganda can obscure: the reality of a nation that has fought extremism, paid the heaviest price, and still advocates dialogue and peace. It is time the world judged Pakistan by its enduring sacrifices and steadfast diplomacy— not by the disinformation of those threatened by its resurgence
This is not mere accusation; it is evidence-based indictment. Pakistan has repeatedly presented intelligence, briefed international partners, and demanded accountability. The true engine of instability is not simply the flow of militants and weapons, but the permissive environment across borders that sustains them.
Meanwhile, Pakistan stands open before the world. It has regained global confidence— its stability reflected in the return of international cricket, with the South African team’s full tour concluded and Sri Lanka’s team now in the country. This is more than sport— it is statecraft. Our stadiums and cities now host the world again, projecting normalcy, security, and renewal. Diplomatically, Pakistan has deepened ties with Qatar, Türkiye, and Gulf partners, while maintaining strategic equilibrium with China and Western allies. These relationships have even yielded three rounds of mediated ceasefire talks with Afghanistan— yet, despite Pakistan’s sincerity, no tangible results have emerged. Indeed, the last few days alone have seen fresh terrorist assaults, including the Islamabad attack that again claimed innocent Pakistani lives.
Yet the regional narrative remains distorted. India and some elements within the Afghan regime persist in accusing Pakistan of sponsoring terrorism, while ignoring overwhelming evidence of cross-border attacks, train hijackings, and school-bus bombings traced back to externally backed proxies. The Balochistan school-bus attack earlier this year, which killed three children, stands as a grim reminder of how deeply these networks operate under external facilitation.
Pakistan will not accept being eternally cast as the accused. Internal reforms are ongoing, but the greater truth is that Pakistan’s vulnerabilities— geographic, demographic, trans-border— have long been exploited by others. The Afghan regime’s failure to dismantle militant sanctuaries despite repeated warnings and internationally mediated understandings exposes the hollowness of its commitments. The ceasefire negotiated through Qatar and Türkiye remains conditional on verifiable Afghan action— yet escalation continues. The deadly 12 October 2025 border clash, which martyred Pakistani soldiers and saw over 200 militants killed in response, shows that every day of Afghan inaction further erodes trust and endangers regional peace.
India’s involvement is neither peripheral nor conjectural— it is deliberate and integral. From Balochistan to information warfare, India’s fingerprints are evident in the funding, arming, and amplification of separatist and extremist elements. Islamabad has presented dossiers to the UN and bilateral partners, challenging India to face the evidence. The burden of credibility now lies with New Delhi, which must explain why its intelligence proxies surface wherever instability in Pakistan is engineered.
The regional crisis has outgrown the old frame of “internal insurgencies.” These are calculated power plays disguised as counterterrorism narratives. When Afghanistan seeks Indian patronage, when New Delhi embraces the Taliban diplomatically, and when Kabul and Delhi coordinate on economic corridors that bypass Pakistan, the strategic intent is unmistakable: to isolate and pressure Pakistan from both borders.
Pakistan is, therefore, justified in drawing a red line. Sanctuaries will be dismantled. Networks will be exposed. And if required, Pakistan will act unilaterally to protect its citizens and sovereignty. The April 27 cross-border operation, which neutralized dozens of infiltrating militants, demonstrated Pakistan’s resolve and capability. Ceasefires without guarantees are ticking time bombs; dialogue without verification is theatre.
The world must now acknowledge that Pakistan’s sovereignty is non-negotiable. When militants hijack trains, bomb schools, or ambush civilians, they act under the shadow of states that have chosen duplicity over cooperation. That calculus must change. Pakistan’s restraint should not be mistaken for weakness. It remains the stabilising force in a volatile region— its people resilient, its state institutions battle-tested, and its diplomacy mature.
As the world returns to Pakistan’s stadiums, its trade corridors reopen, and its partnerships expand, a new reality takes shape: Pakistan is emerging from a long war with renewed confidence. To destabilise it now is to imperil the entire region’s growth, connectivity, and security.
Pakistan will no longer allow its territory or its citizens to pay for others’ proxy wars. India and Afghanistan must now decide—cooperation and respect for Pakistan’s borders, or the consequences of persistent hostility. Pakistan’s message is clear: peace is possible, but not peace built on deceit or unverified promises. If neighbours refuse to act, Pakistan will reserve the right to act in its own defence— decisively and without apology.
Despite the persistent hostility of its neighbours and repeated efforts to malign its image through propaganda, Pakistan has displayed remarkable restraint, strategic clarity, and diplomatic poise. It has neither succumbed to provocation nor abandoned its pursuit of regional peace, even when goodwill has been met with betrayal. Today, Pakistan’s strength lies not only in its security apparatus but in its renewed global credibility— evident in the return of international confidence and engagement. This truth must be recognised: Pakistan is not the problem; it is the stabilising force in a region repeatedly undermined by India’s political opportunism and Afghanistan’s governance failures. The narrative of “terrorism,” weaponized for years against Pakistan, has served as a smokescreen for interventionist ambitions. Pakistan’s resilience— political, moral, and strategic— stands as testimony that no propaganda can obscure: the reality of a nation that has fought extremism, paid the heaviest price, and still advocates dialogue and peace. It is time the world judged Pakistan by its enduring sacrifices and steadfast diplomacy— not by the disinformation of those threatened by its resurgence.
