Pakistan is passing through one of the most difficult periods in its history. There appears to be no easy solution with regard to the multifaceted crisis in which the nation finds itself entangled. The societal fabric is being torn apart along ethno-linguistic and politico-religious lines. Prominent state institutions no longer follow the constitutional rulebook and often overstep to violate the established system of checks and balances. Some home-grown radical Islamic and religious extremist outfits are threatening to overthrow the existing state apparatus to establish an Afghan Taliban-style emirate in the country. Against this background, the present study identifies and analyses five distinct fault lines in the country that Pakistan has miserably failed to manage effectively. The study offers an in-depth analysis of the existing and emerging fault lines and contextualises them in light of recent developments in the country.
The Taliban is navigating strained relations with Pakistan externally while confronting the threat posed by ISKP and deepening socio-political fault lines internally.
While the US deepens strategic ties with India in critical minerals and advanced technologies, Pakistan finds itself sidelined, confined to tactical engagements.
The Baloch question and the ongoing conflict represent the limits of coercive state measures and strategic containment in confronting a festering internal political challenge.
The Pakistani policymakers and academia did not envisage an escalation of attacks in Pakistan after the ascendancy of the Afghan Taliban in August 2021.1 In fact, many commentators and analysts in Pakistan viewed the rise of the Taliban after the Doha greement as a harbinger of a new era in South Asia. However, despite the pledges made by the Taliban and the interim government in Afghanistan, Pakistan has been getting mired in violence. For a fourth consecutive year, Pakistan has seen a surge in violence after the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul. According to ‘Pakistan Security Report 2024’, a total of 521 terrorist attacks took place in Pakistan in 2024—including nine suicide bombings—which killed 852 people and injured 1,124, amounting to a 70 per cent increase in the number of attacks from the previous year.
