There has been no letup in militant violence. The casualty count keeps increasing this year, and the trend is extremely disturbing. Still, the situation is portrayed as a mere security statistic rather than treated as the national crisis that it actually is.

The country has witnessed at least 158 militant attacks so far in 2025. The 204 martyrdoms and 297 injuries in the first 64 days should have jolted the government into action. That is approximately three attacks a day on average and an equally high number of fatalities and injuries. Security personnel make up more than half of that count. While mourning the losses, reports also celebrate the neutralization of as many as 384 militants and call this number a success.

The problem is that Pakistan continues to witness a sharp surge in militant violence. Reports have clearly identified Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as war zones, for they share borders with Taliban-infested Afghanistan from where militant groups get human and logistic support. The same terror outfits then carry out attacks on civilians and security personnel. The forces retaliate, kill a few hundred foot soldiers, who are then replaced by other fighters, and the cycle keeps going year after year.

Despite having all that knowledge, Pakistani authorities are still focused on treating the symptoms instead of dealing with the disease – the ideology, the funding, and the recruitment. Groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Balochistan Liberation Army, Balochistan Liberation Front, and others dubbed ‘khwarij’ are not just fighting but organizing, pushing propaganda and showing off their strength. The TTP in particular has announced leadership appointments across districts, behaving less like a militant group and more like a shadow government.

The usual short-term, reactionary response focused only on “killing the problem away” has proved ineffective. The authorities must nip the evil in the bud and destroy the recruitment pipeline

The almost daily attacks during the past two months show that the insurgency is not fading. The militants are apparently better armed, more coordinated, and more committed than before. Although security forces are holding the line – the kills are on the board to show progress –numbers do not always tell the full story.

The usual short-term, reactionary response focused only on “killing the problem away” has proved ineffective. The authorities must nip the evil in the bud and destroy the recruitment pipeline. It must be accompanied with a strong counter-narrative to shatter the militant ideology that ensures militants do not find more blood to spare. Their steady cash flow must be disrupted. While a full-scale financial war on militants sounds unrealistic, targeting their biggest revenue sources like extortion, kidnapping, and smuggling is more practical.

Everyone knows the TTP is sitting in Afghanistan. Diplomacy has not worked, so Islamabad must come up with a new damage-control plan instead of waiting and complaining. Border fencing has helped restrict smuggling and militants’ movement, but it is apparently not enough. Authorities must allow for stronger check posts and drone surveillance to halt illegal border crossings.

It is high time for the government to realize two things: The militants do not just exist in the mountains but also in political gaps and economic failures; and that security forces alone cannot win this fight. Forces can eliminate threats, but the rest of the state must help eliminate the conditions that keep producing them. The steps might seem ambitious, but they are necessary. If even this is too much, then we are just accepting that this cycle will never end.