Pakistan confronts multi‑front insurgency and proxy terror strategy

Pakistan is grappling with simultaneous unrest across its frontier regions. In Balochistan, an increasingly organized insurgency driven by educated youth is intensifying attacks on security forces and China‑Pakistan Economic Corridor projects. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Tehrik‑e‑Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has carried out more than a thousand attacks in the past year, killing hundreds of security personnel. The military establishment, led by Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, is reported to be reviving a proxy‑terror strategy by extending patronage to Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) as a counterweight to the Taliban and Baloch rebels.

Unrest has also surged in Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir ahead of regional elections, with dozens killed in clashes over economic grievances and political discontent. The United Nations has expressed concern and called for impartial investigations. Beijing has warned Islamabad over security guarantees for CPEC projects, while regional mediators such as Qatar, Turkey and China have so far failed to ease the crisis.