Pakistan struggles with rising militancy in tribal areas

Pakistan's efforts to integrate its troubled tribal areas, which border Afghanistan, are not going well. These regions have a history of violence and militancy. The government initiated a major reform in 2018, aiming to bring these areas into the country's political system and boost development. However, many people in the region now see this effort as a failure. Since the Taliban regained control in Afghanistan in 2021, violence has surged in Pakistan. Last year, more than 1,000 people died from attacks in the country, a significant rise from just 250 in 2019. This data comes from the Institute for Economics and Peace, which highlights Pakistan as one of the most affected countries by terrorism, second only to Burkina Faso in Africa. The problems in the tribal areas are rooted in old laws established during colonial times. These laws focused on controlling the people rather than supporting them. Experts believe that merging these areas with a nearby province has not addressed deep-seated issues. The ongoing insecurity poses an additional challenge for Pakistan, a nation of 250 million now facing economic difficulties and political unrest.