Pakistan Faces Dual Crises: Militant Violence and Refugee Challenges

On Wednesday, November 20, Pakistan witnessed yet another security threat: A suicide bombing and gun attack at a military outpost in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulted in the deaths of at least 12 soldiers, with several others injured, including two critically, VOA reported.

The attack, attributed to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), underscores the escalating violence, which has claimed over 1,100 lives this year, primarily among security personnel.

Islamabad has persistently urged the Islamist Taliban government in Kabul, which is not recognized by any country, to prevent TTP and other anti-Pakistan groups from using Afghan soil for cross-border terrorism. Taliban authorities in Afghanistan deny the allegations, saying no foreign militant groups are present in the country.

In parallel, Pakistan’s High Commissioner for Refugees, Mohammad Abbas Khan, proposed an international conference aimed at facilitating the resettlement of Afghan refugees. Currently, around 600,000 Afghan applicants are registered with the UNHCR in Pakistan, yet only 8,000 are expected to be resettled this year. Khan emphasized Afghanistan’s limited capacity to absorb returning refugees, calling for global cooperation to address these pressing humanitarian needs.