PESHAWAR – Enough is enough. That was the clear message from Pakistan’s top soldier on Friday.

Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir said in Peshawar that Pakistan’s war against terrorism will continue with full power. And terrorists, especially those backed by foreign powers, will be hit hard wherever they are.

It was a short sentence, but it carried a lot of weight. “We will continue the campaign against Indian-sponsored terrorist outfits to the fullest and hit them hard wherever they are.”

This statement came from Corps Headquarters Peshawar, the heart of Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to ISPR, Field Marshal Munir arrived at the Corps HQ on Friday morning. He was received by the Peshawar Corps Commander. Inside, he was given a full briefing. The briefing was not just a formality. It was a deep review of what is happening on the ground.

What was discussed? Three main things.

First, the current security situation in KP. Second, the ongoing intelligence-based operations. Third, border management and how ready the troops are for any threat.

Commanders on the ground told him that operations are happening almost daily. In North Waziristan, in Bannu, in Lakki Marwat, in D.I Khan. Terrorists are trying to regroup. They are trying to attack check posts, police vans, and even schools. But security forces are responding fast.

Field Marshal Munir listened carefully. Then he spoke to the officers and jawans.

He praised them. He said their morale is high and their professionalism is excellent. He said he knows they are working in tough weather, in tough mountains, away from their families. But they are still standing firm.

He then gave a clear order. Stay vigilant. Stay ready. Do not relax even for a minute. Because the enemy is cunning and will try to hit when we are not ready.

But the most important part of his speech was about the bigger picture.

For a long time, Pakistan has been saying that terrorism inside the country is not just local. It is being funded and supported from outside. ISPR has used the word “Indian-sponsored terrorist outfits” many times. These groups include Fitna al Khawarij and other banned outfits that take shelter across the border.

Field Marshal’s statement makes it clear that Pakistan will no longer just defend. It will go on the offensive.

This visit did not happen in isolation. Just one day before, on Thursday, there was a very big meeting at Governor House Peshawar. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired the Federal Apex Committee meeting. Field Marshal Munir, federal ministers, and intelligence chiefs were all there.

In that meeting, the PM said some very blunt things. He said KP’s law and order had become so bad that the federal government had to impose Governor’s Rule and emergency in the province. He said this decision was taken with a heavy heart, but it was necessary.

He said that the progress and peace that was achieved after years of sacrifices, after operations like Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad, was lost because of poor governance in the province.

He also announced a big development package. Rs 160 billion for KP. For roads, for schools, for hospitals, for jobs for the youth. His logic was simple. You cannot defeat terrorism with guns only. You have to give people hope. You have to give them jobs.

So when you see Field Marshal’s statement on Friday together with PM’s package on Thursday, you understand the full strategy. One hand will hit the terrorists hard. The other hand will build the province.

Field Marshal Munir also did not forget the martyrs. In every speech, he remembers them. This time too, he paid rich tribute to the Shuhada and Ghazis. He said Pakistan has given more than 80,000 lives in this war against terrorism. Soldiers, policemen, children, teachers, common people. Their blood will not go in vain.

He said, “With the support of the people, Pakistan will surely inflict total defeat on the terrorists and their perverted ideology.”

This sentence is very important. Why? Because he said two things will be defeated. One, the terrorists themselves. Two, their ideology. Their soch. Their perverted way of thinking that says killing innocent people is jihad.

And you cannot kill an ideology with a bullet. You need the people for that. You need mothers to stop their sons from joining these groups. You need imams to speak against them in mosques. You need teachers to tell students that Islam is a religion of peace.

That is why he mentioned “support of the people”. The army knows it cannot win this war alone.

Right now, the situation in KP is very tense. According to data from the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, terrorist attacks have increased by 40% this year compared to last year. September 2026 was one of the deadliest months in the last decade.

Peshawar, which had become quite peaceful after 2018, is again seeing attacks. A few weeks ago, a police vehicle was targeted in Warsak Road. In Bannu, a cantonment attack was foiled but soldiers were martyred. In Bajaur and Kurram, cross-border firing is a daily issue.

People are scared, but they are also angry. In markets and on social media, you can see people demanding action. They are saying, “Do a full operation and clean them once and for all.”

A driver in Peshawar told a local TV channel, “We want our children to go to school without fear. If the Field Marshal says he will hit them hard, we are with him. But please do it properly this time.”

Experts say the statement also has a message for Kabul. Pakistan has been telling the Afghan Taliban government that it must not allow its soil to be used against Pakistan. Pakistan says TTP leaders are living in Afghanistan and operating from there. The Afghan government denies it. But Islamabad’s patience seems to be running out.

So “hit them hard wherever they are” can also be read as a warning to those who give safe haven to these terrorists.

In the last few months, Pakistan has already done many intelligence-based operations. The army is not announcing big new operations like in the past. Instead, it is doing small, sharp, intelligence-based raids. This new method is more effective and causes less collateral damage.

The ISPR statement did not say how long this campaign will last. But the words “to the fullest” mean that there is no timeline. The operation will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated.

Final Thought

So what should we make of this strong statement? Is it just words or will we see real change on the ground?

If we look at history, every time the army chief has given such a clear warning from Peshawar, a big operation has followed. After the APS attack in 2014, General Raheel Sharif gave a similar statement from the same headquarters, and then Zarb-e-Azb started. After that, terrorism fell by 80%.

This time, the situation is different, but the pain is the same. The people of KP are tired. They have seen curfews, displacements, funerals for 20 years. They deserve peace.

Field Marshal Munir is right on two points. First, terrorists must be hit hard. There should be no talks with those who kill children. No leniency. Second, their ideology must be defeated. And for that, we need more than guns. We need schools, jobs, justice, and good governance.

The Rs 160 billion package is a good step, but only if the money actually reaches the people. People in Waziristan and Khyber don’t need big speeches in Islamabad. They need a working hospital, a working school, and a road that is not broken.

If the government can deliver on development and the army can deliver on security, then maybe, just maybe, this time we can really see the end of this long and bloody war.

The Field Marshal has given his word. He said with the people’s support, total defeat of terrorists is sure. Now it is up to all of us – the government, the army, and the common citizen – to make that word come true.

Because Pakistan has bled enough. Its children deserve to live without the sound of blasts. And Peshawar, the city of flowers and history, deserves to be a city of peace again.