Comments by Hamdullah Fitrat have drawn sharp responses from analysts and security observers in Pakistan, who argue that his narrative attempts to portray Pakistan as responsible for civilian suffering while ignoring the root cause: terrorist sanctuaries across the border.
Over the past two decades, Pakistan has suffered grievously from militancy, losing over 80,000 citizens to attacks by groups such as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and the Balochistan Liberation Army, many of which operated from Afghan territory. Analysts say these losses underline the scale of threat Pakistan faces and the difficulty of addressing cross-border terrorism.
Official assessments from 2025 alone indicate that attacks by TTP elements hiding in Afghanistan resulted in 1,957 fatalities, 3,603 injuries, and 3,079 terrorists neutralized. Critics note that Fitrat’s selective presentation of figures attempts to cast Pakistan as the aggressor while obscuring the continued existence of hostile networks.
Observers argue that the narrative of victimhood is incongruent with Pakistan’s targeted approach: strikes focus strictly on terrorist infrastructure and operational networks, not civilian populations. They emphasize that the persistent presence of sanctuaries inside Afghan territory continues to fuel cross-border attacks and destabilize regional security.
“Blaming Pakistan while ignoring the root problem is not accountability—it is propaganda,” one analyst commented. “The real issue is that terrorist bases remain untouched, while their spokesmen rush to portray themselves as victims online.”
This ongoing debate underscores the challenge of separating strategic counterterrorism actions from politically motivated narratives and highlights the continuing importance of addressing sanctuaries to ensure long-term regional stability.
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