A surging insurgency

A worrying new report on the security situation in the country includes the grim statistic that there was an 83% surge in violence-linked fatalities during the third quarter of 2026, with 1,415 deaths recorded across 385 incidents. This sharp escalation in violence described in the Centre for Research and Security Studies quarterly security report shows that the declining trend witnessed in the first half of the year is a distant memory. In fact, the spike in violence is also the highest quarter-on-quarter increase since 2021.

The epicentre of this deterioration is Balochistan, where fatalities increased over threefold from 265 to 829, accounting for 88% of the national increase. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which has its own torrid history with terrorism, was second-worst, recording 186 violent incidents, which in terms of quantity - ignoring fatalities - represents 48% of all attacks in the country. The TTP, which is behind most of the attacks in K-P, was also the primary threat, being linked with 13 attacks that killed 117 people, while the BLA and Hafiz Gul Bahadur group also caused significant casualties. While almost two-thirds of the casualties were "outlaws", the raw numbers of civilians and security forces martyred rose by 36% and 79%, respectively, or 54% overall. The year-to-date death toll for security forces has also crossed 1,000, making the first three-quarters of 2026 the deadliest such period ever.

The UNSC has condemned the surge in militant attacks, but no amount of condemnation will stop the violence. What is needed is concrete action targeting the governments of Afghanistan and India - which fund some of the terrorist groups and provide them with logistics and shelter - and material support for our security apparatus. At the same time, the government must do more to address the root causes of separatist sentiments, instead of just blaming outside forces. If young people felt their government was providing opportunities, they would not feel alienated or susceptible to the appeal of anti-Pakistan groups, which may offer them kinship and income.