SOURCE: AFI
Recent cross-border strikes targeting militant infrastructure deep within Pakistan’s Punjab province have sent a resounding message, not just to the terror networks operating with impunity but also to the highest echelons of Pakistan’s military establishment. For General Asim Munir, the Chief of Army Staff, these developments should serve as a serious wake-up call regarding the growing impatience of neighboring states with Pakistan’s duplicity on terrorism.
Historically, Pakistan’s Punjab province has been portrayed as a relatively secure heartland, far from the volatility of the tribal regions or Balochistan. However, the presence of key leadership and logistical support systems for various extremist outfits in Punjab has long been an open secret. Recent precision strikes that reportedly hit key facilities linked to terror networks within this region challenge the very notion of a “safe haven” and expose vulnerabilities previously deemed off-limits.
These attacks also underscore a strategic shift. No longer are such operations confined to border skirmishes or retaliatory strikes near the Line of Control (LoC). By targeting sites within Punjab, they signal a growing willingness to hit where it hurts most — symbolically and operationally. For General Munir, whose tenure has been marked by both internal dissent and external criticism, this represents a direct challenge to the military’s longstanding policy of using non-state actors as strategic assets while denying culpability.
This wake-up call comes at a time when Pakistan faces mounting economic distress, political instability, and waning influence in international forums. The military’s failure to dismantle terror infrastructure or rein in groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed — many of which have roots in Punjab — has placed Pakistan on the defensive, diplomatically and militarily.
Moreover, there is a growing consensus among regional powers that waiting for Pakistan to self-correct is no longer viable. Targeted actions against terror infrastructure, even if across borders, are increasingly being justified under the doctrine of active defense and preemptive security.
For General Munir, who once headed the ISI and is no stranger to Pakistan’s deep state operations, the message is clear: there is no longer any strategic depth when your adversaries are willing and capable of striking deep inside your perceived bastions of safety. Continuing to ignore this shift could come at a heavy cost — not just in military terms, but in the form of further diplomatic isolation and domestic unrest.
If the Pakistani military wishes to avert a broader escalation and regain regional credibility, it must act decisively. That means dismantling the terror networks operating from within its borders, especially those thriving in Punjab, and ending the policy of selective counterterrorism.
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