A rise in terrorist activities has been observed in 2025 and it has become a deadly year for Pakistan.
Each day brings an unfortunate attack where civilians and security forces are targeted. Recently, on the night of 26/27 September 2025, Pakistan’s security forces carried out an intelligence-based operation in the Lakki Marwat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the official statement by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), 17 terrorists were neutralized and a significant number of weapons and ammunition were also recovered.
According to local news reports, Karak District Police Office (DPO) stated that the security forces launched an operation in the rural area within the jurisdiction of Shah Salim police station in the Darshakhel area based on credible information about the presence of terrorists. According to DPO, the terrorists were affiliated with the Mullah Nazir group of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban.
One of the terrorists killed in the Lakki Marwat operation was found carrying a foreign identification card, later confirmed to be Bangladeshi. This revelation, reported by several major Pakistani news outlets including ARY, Geo and SAMAA, drew attention to the unexpected international dimension of the incident. Following the lead, Ajay Kundu from the Pothomalo News Agency traced the identity of the deceased and met his family. The individual was identified as Faisal Hossain, aged 22, from Chhotodudhkhali village in Madaripur district. He was the son of Abdul Awal Morol and the family resides on Aziz Road, Jagannathpur, Dhaka. According to his maternal grandfather, Faisal sold caps and perfumes and was known for being deeply religious, praying five times a day. He had left for Dubai in search of employment, maintaining limited contact with his family except on special occasions.
Moving forward and looking at the incident raises concerns about the re-emergence of foreign terrorists pouring in from the western front. Time will tell how many other foreign individuals will join the ranks of Tehreek-i-Taliban. Moreover, in August this year, Bangladesh and Pakistan came together to forge strategic ties. The Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh extended an invitation to the Government of Pakistan for an official visit. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar visited Dhaka on 23-24 August 2025. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), this was the first visit of a Pakistani Foreign Minister to Dhaka in around 13 years. Both countries signed six agreements and MoUs in various capacities.
To address the region’s diverse security concerns, the need of the hour is to push again for a unified, sustainable South Asia security framework. Previously, under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), attempts were made to develop a comprehensive framework. Pakistan and Bangladesh have the potential to explore an approach which incorporates intelligence sharing and an early warning mechanism in the South Asia region, allowing for a more integrated approach to tackle the transnational and trans-border spill-over in terrorist activities.
—The writer is associated with the Institute of Regional Studies, Islamabad.
