Pakistan’s worsening security crisis deepened again after an IED blast targeting a police vehicle in the country’s northwest killed three policemen, underscoring yet another failure of the state to curb the militant resurgence it once claimed to have defeated. The attack, carried out in a region long plagued by terrorism, has exposed the alarming collapse of Pakistan’s internal security architecture.

According to local officials, the police patrol was ambushed using a remotely detonated explosive device planted along a rural road. The blast instantly destroyed the vehicle, killing three officers on the spot and injuring others. Rescue teams arrived long after the damage had been done a grim reminder of the repeated inability of the security establishment to protect its own frontline forces.

The attack comes amid a dramatic spike in terrorism across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, regions where militants have regained significant strength in recent years. Despite the Pakistan Army’s repeated claims of “successful operations,” insurgent groups continue to carry out audacious attacks with impunity, suggesting that the state’s so-called counterterror framework is collapsing from within.

Critics argue that Pakistan’s leadership distracted by political crackdowns, institutional power struggles, and economic freefall has left frontline police officers dangerously exposed. While the military establishment maintains its grip on political affairs, everyday security duties fall on under-equipped provincial forces who are increasingly becoming soft targets for militants. Analysts say that allowing banned outfits to regroup across tribal districts, coupled with the state’s inconsistent policies toward extremist groups, has created a security vacuum that militants are now exploiting. Many observers blame the return of terrorism on Pakistan’s long-standing strategy of selectively handling militant groups, a policy that has backfired repeatedly and now threatens national stability.

For the families of the slain policemen, the tragedy is yet another painful reminder that those sacrificing their lives receive little more than symbolic tributes from a system unable or unwilling to protect them. As attacks continue to rise, public anger is growing over the government’s failure to provide safety, accountability, or a coherent counterterrorism plan. With the state’s institutions distracted by political infighting and the military establishment preoccupied with consolidating authority, Pakistan appears to be losing control over vast regions once again. The IED blast is not an isolated incident it is a symptom of a nation where governance is failing, terrorism is resurging, and those responsible continue to look the other way. 

This image is taken from Deccan Herald.