ISLAMABAD:
On the night of December 24, Pakistani fighter jets carried out strikes inside Afghanistan, capping the tumultuous year both on the security and foreign policy front. Pakistan refrained from officially owning the strikes, something that highlighted the difficult nature of the relationship with Afghanistan.
This was the last thing Pakistan wantedstrained relationship with the country that Islamabad has invested so much to advance its strategic and economic interests. Pakistan had to opt for the hard option after TTP-sponsored terrorist attacks continued to target the security forces in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
Three days prior to the air strikes, TTP terrorists struck at check post in South Waziristan, leaving 16 Pakistani soldiers martyred. That was the tipping point, forcing Pakistan to go after their hideouts in Afghanistan. Pakistani action came the day when after a gap of 15 months, a high-powered delegation led by Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, was in Kabul, holding talks with Taliban authorities.
Ambassador Sadiq’s visit was part of a renewed push to find a solution to the problem that has undermined ties between the two countries. The year 2024 saw no let-up in terrorist attacks in Pakistan. In fact, the number of attacks has only gone up.
The data compiled by Pakistan Institute for Conflict Studies revealed that terrorist-related fatalities in 2024 have surpassed 1,000, reaching 1,082 in the first 11 months, with 856 terrorist attacks reported so far this year, compared to 645 attacks in 2023, reflecting the worsening security situation.
At least 245 people, including 68 security personnel, were killed in a series of terrorist attacks and clashes across Pakistan in November. The casualties included 127 terrorists and 50 civilians.
November ranked as the second deadliest month of the year, following August, which saw 254 deaths, including 92 civilians, 108 terrorists, and 54 security personnel. In terms of security personnel casualties, November was the deadliest month of 2024, surpassing October, which saw 62 security force deaths. K-P was the hardest-hit region, with 50 terrorist attacks leading to 71 deaths and 85 injuries.
The Kurram district witnessed one of the worst tribal clashes in recent history, with over 120 people killed. Further, according to the report, Balochistan also saw a surge in terrorist attacks. The series of deadly attacks in Balochistan compelled the civil and military authorities to launch a comprehensive military operation in the restive province.
With tensions deepening with Afghanistan, 2025 may remain volatile.
While the security situation remained challenging for Pakistan in 2024, issues of foreign policy kept Islamabad on the tenterhooks. There was no improvement in ties with Afghanistan. Hopes of any ice break in relationship with India after the February 8 polls never materialised. The year saw a testing time for Pakistan and China relationship. The “iron brothers” were confronted with a security challenge to navigate their relationship. At least 7 Chinese nationals were killed in two different terrorist attacks in 2024.
The March 26 Besham attack left 5 Chinese engineers dead while October 6 terrorist incident killed 2 Chinese in Karachi. Those incidents compelled China to publicly express their concerns and warned Pakistan that without security improvement there won’t be progress in the second phase of CPEC.
There was an unprecedented hiccup in the relationship when the Chinese ambassador had to publicly rebuke Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at a public forum in Islamabad. That compelled the Foreign Office to issue a statement, terming the Chinese Ambassador’s move not consistent with close ties between the two countries.
What compounded Pakistan’s problems was the Biden Administration’s decision to target the country’s long range ballistic missile programme. Pakistan’s long range ballistic missile programme has remained on the US radar for years.
But the US stepped up pressure on Pakistan in 2024. Washington imposed sanctions on several Chinese and Pakistani companies linking them to the ballistic missile programme. The bombshell development came this month when a senior Biden administration official made a stunning claim as to why Washington had concerns with Pakistan’s missile programme.
A day after, the Biden administration imposed sanctions on four Pakistani entities including state-owned National Defence Complex (NDC), Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer claimed nuclear-armed Pakistan was developing long-range ballistic missile capabilities that eventually could allow it to strike targets well beyond South Asia, making it an “emerging threat” to the United States.
“So, candidly, it’s hard for us to see Pakistan’s actions as anything other than an emerging threat to the United States,” Finer said. Pakistani officials termed this claim as “absurd.” But the US official’s public statement suggested ominous signs for Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programme under President Trump’s second term.
But despite those challenges, the year 2024 was an active year for Pakistan’s diplomacy. After a hiatus of many years, Pakistan hosted a summit of regional leaders. The meeting of the Council of Heads of governments of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) saw several leaders including from China and Russia visiting Islamabad in October. Indian External Affairs Minister S J Shankar was also in attendance, raising some hopes of a thaw between the two countries.
The Foreign Office listed visits from several leaders including Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, China, Egypt, Gambia, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Qatar, Russia, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, the UAE, Uzbekistan and the United Kingdom. It said such high level exchanges helped develop important understandings with these countries.
This year, we witnessed major transformations and far-reaching developments in our region and around the world. Political changes in Africa, South Asia, Middle East, Europe, and East Asia meant foreign policy adaptations and adjustments by countries around the world including Pakistan. Against this backdrop and with Trump all set to step into the White House, there will be a lot more in store in the year 2025.
