Peshawar – Concerns are mounting over what security analysts describe as a growing attempt by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government to exploit anti-military sentiment and sub-nationalist narratives in ways that could undermine counterterrorism operations and embolden militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The controversy intensified after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led KP government’s secretariat issued a resolution on 28 July demanding the withdrawal of military forces from the merged tribal districts within 15 days. The move followed weeks of escalating rhetoric from PTI leaders, allied groups, and sympathetic voices on social media questioning military operations in Bajaur and other parts of the province.

Observers argue that the PTI government’s use of sub-nationalist and anti-army sentiment goes beyond political posturing, potentially creating conditions that could provide cover for the TTP’s resurgence and pave the way for increased agitation and unrest against the state’s authority.

Disinformation Campaign on Social Media

Observers say the campaign coincides with a surge in militant activity in the region and bears the hallmarks of a coordinated political strategy aimed at discrediting the security establishment.

Online fact-checkers have documented instances of PTI-linked accounts recycling unrelated or outdated images and videos to depict recent operations as indiscriminate attacks on civilians. In one case, an old protest in Bajaur following the killing of a religious figure was reframed as an anti-army demonstration; in another, a 2022 military truck accident in Azad Kashmir was misrepresented as casualties from current fighting in Bajaur.

KP Government’s Mixed Messaging

While the provincial leadership has oscillated in its stance, with Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur initially denouncing the Bajaur operation before later supporting “targeted” action, the overall messaging from PTI and its affiliates has amplified distrust of security forces. Jirgas convened by the KP government have stressed that displacement during operations is “unacceptable” and called for negotiations with Afghanistan, a proposal that critics fear could be used to legitimise TTP’s presence in border areas.

PTM and India-Linked Accounts Amplify Anti-Army Sentiment

Parallel to PTI’s political manoeuvres, members of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), left-leaning commentators, and diaspora activists have intensified their criticism of the military. Statements on social media from PTM-linked accounts and other activists frame ongoing operations as acts of ethnic suppression rather than counterterrorism, echoing narratives frequently used by hostile foreign information campaigns.

India-based accounts have amplified these claims, accusing the Pakistan Army of large-scale civilian killings in Bajaur and likening the situation to Gaza, allegations for which no independent verification exists. Analysts say this cross-pollination of local grievances, political opportunism, and foreign disinformation risks creating a permissive environment for militant regrouping.

Security Implications for KP and Pakistan

Security experts warn that calls for the complete withdrawal of the military from high-risk districts could roll back years of hard-won gains against militancy. The TTP, emboldened by the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, has expanded its footprint in KP’s border areas over the past two years, carrying out targeted killings, extortion, and attacks on security personnel.

The federal government has not yet issued a formal public response, but officials caution that politicising security policy for electoral advantage could open space for militants to re-establish safe havens, and plunge the province back into the instability that scarred it during the mid-2000s militancy.

Security experts note that the TTP, buoyed by cross-border sanctuaries and shifting local alliances, is actively probing for weak points in KP’s security grid. Political rhetoric that undermines public trust in security forces, they warn, could make it easier for militants to rebuild networks, recruit sympathisers, and re-establish control in vulnerable districts.

With militant violence already on the rise, the combination of local agitation, disinformation campaigns, and foreign amplification is seen as a volatile mix, one that could push Khyber Pakhtunkhwa back toward its militancy-era past. Security officials stress that while the threat is serious, Pakistan’s counterterrorism apparatus, strengthened over years of hard conflict, is capable of confronting it. The challenge, they note, lies in ensuring that political opportunism does not erode national resolve, and that coordinated action between state institutions and the public denies militants any room to regroup.