PAK ARMY: THE FRONTLINE COMBATANT AGAINST TERRORISM, NOT ITS PERPETRATOR
Muhammad Hamza Minhas
Publishing date: 26 November 2025
In Pakistan’s evolving security and political landscape, a sustained wave of misinformation has sought to malign Pakistan Army; terming it as an orchestrator of terrorism and an institution that manipulates control over mineral-rich areas to maintain influence over the state. This anti-state narrative, largely driven by hostile propaganda and politically motivated actors, aims to undermine national unity and discredit the military’s indispensable role in ensuring Pakistan’s internal stability. Such misconceptions disregard the Army’s decades-long fight against terrorism—marked by extraordinary sacrifices, operational excellence, and a relentless commitment to safeguarding Pakistan’s sovereignty.
Myths and Misconceptions
The most damaging myth propagated by adversarial elements is that the Pakistan Army sponsors or facilitates terrorism within the country. This falsehood, repeated through disinformation campaigns and selective political rhetoric, ignores the fundamental reality that the Army has been at the forefront of the nation’s war against terror for over two decades. These conspiracy-laden narratives also extend to allegations that the military deliberately maintains a presence in mineral-rich regions—particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—to consolidate political and economic control. Such claims are baseless and designed to weaken public confidence in a national institution that continues to defend the country at great personal and institutional cost.
The Army’s Sacrifices: A Testament of Commitment
The Pakistan Army’s sacrifices in the fight against terrorism are both immense and unparalleled. Thousands of soldiers and officers have laid down their lives in defense of the homeland. Importantly, these sacrifices are not confined to the rank and file; they extend deeply into the families of serving and retired officers and soldiers. Since the beginning of war on terror in 2001, 103 officers have embraced martyrdom who were sons of Pak Army personnel — a powerful testament to the institution’s shared burden of sacrifice.
Despite these losses, the Army’s resolve remains unshaken. The legacy of service continues through generations, as 5,728 wards of serving and retired officers are currently part Pak Army. These include 3,965 sons of Lieutenant Colonels, 635 of Colonels, 950 of Brigadiers, 136 of Major Generals, 39 of Lieutenant Generals, and 3 of four star Generals. Even from the recently graduated courses in current year, there are 152 wards of serving and retired Army officers, including 43 officers who are offspring of senior officers (one to four star generals). These figures alone demonstrate that the institution’s leadership continues to entrust its own sons to the nation’s defense—an undeniable refutation of claims that the Army foments the very threat it continues to combat.
Counter-Terrorism Operations: Defending the Homeland
Far from being an instigator, the Pakistan Army has been the principal combatant force against terrorism, conducting comprehensive counter-insurgency and intelligence-based operations nationwide. Since 2024 alone, the Army has carried out 124,493 operations, averaging over 190 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) daily—a scale of effort unmatched in the region. These operations have dismantled hundreds of militant networks, restored the writ of the state in previously lawless areas, and stabilized regions once under extremist control.
Major operations such as Zarb-e-Azb (2014), Radd-ul-Fasaad (2017), and Khyber-IV (2017) stand as landmark campaigns that neutralized terrorist sanctuaries, disrupted cross-border infiltration, and re-established peace across critical territories. The cumulative cost of these operations, paid in blood and sacrifice, underscores the Army’s role as the shield of the state—not its subverter.
The Mineral Resource Misconception: Setting the Record Straight
Another recurring propaganda theme links the Army’s counter-terrorism presence in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to supposed attempts to seize control of mineral wealth. In reality, these areas overlap with volatile border zones and terrorist safe havens near Afghanistan, necessitating a strong security presence. The Army’s deployment is aimed at protecting strategic projects and national assets such as Reko Diq, Saindak, and Gwadar Port, while enabling a stable environment for economic activity and foreign investment, particularly from partners like China.
Moreover, Pakistan’s mineral reserves are not confined to conflict-prone areas—significant deposits of copper, gold, coal, and iron exist in Punjab, Sindh, and Gilgit-Baltistan, regions that remain peaceful and free from military operations. This alone invalidates the narrative that the Army’s presence in mineral zones is resource-driven. The reality is that security imperatives—not resource exploitation—determine operational deployments.
Conclusion
In essence, Pakistan Army stands as the nation’s foremost bulwark against terrorism, not its perpetrator. Its unmatched sacrifices, enduring operational commitment, and generational legacy of service reflect an institution devoted to national security and stability—disproving propaganda that seeks to malign its motives or link its presence in sensitive regions to resource exploitation.