Pakistan’s National Action Plan (NAP) against terrorism: revised into a 14-point framework after 2021, it has delivered measurable gains in terror-finance control, CTD capacity, and online moderation. Yet uneven justice reforms, persistent sectarian militancy, Balochistan reconciliation gaps, and cross-border pressures keep stability fragile.
Pakistan has absorbed more than 70,000 deaths and an estimated US$130 billion in economic losses from terrorism since 2001.
The Army Public School massacre on Dec. 16, 2014, triggered a nationwide pivot that produced a 20-point National Action Plan (NAP), later revised into a 14-point framework in 2021 after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, combining five kinetic and nine non-kinetic measures.
Failure to Implement NAP Reason for Rising Terrorism: DG ISPR
The failure to implement NAP and politicisation of terrorism is the main reason for rising menace of terrorism, DG ISPR said on Friday October 10, 2025.
Addressing an important press conference at the Peshawar Corps Headquarter on Friday, said Pakistan has been battling the scourge of terrorism for the last two decades and the Pakistan Army is determined to eradicate it.
The 14 points of the National Action Plan had pledged to eliminate terrorists and Khawarij, which has not been fully implemented.
In addition, he said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been the biggest target of terrorism for many years.
In 2024, 14,535 operations were conducted in the province, in which more than 700 terrorists were killed.
Moreover, Lieutenant General said that terrorists used 30 Afghan suicide bombers in the last two years.
While India is using Afghanistan as a base camp for terrorism and is fully supporting terrorism in Pakistan.
Additionally, the DG ISPR said that all this was done under a well-thought-out plan to spread unrest in Pakistan.
However, the Pakistan Army will foil this conspiracy with the cooperation of the nation.
From APS shock to a structured 14-point framework: what changed after 2021
The initial NAP centralised counterterror aims; the 2021 revision clarified responsibilities across kinetic disruption and societal prevention.
Point no.1 zero tolerance for militancy, anchors the framework, while new and re-emphasised planks target online radicalisation, terror finance, sectarian outfits, criminal justice reform, and provincial integration.
The architecture is comprehensive on paper, but effectiveness hinges on sustained political alignment, budget continuity, and enforcement across provincial and federal layers.
Kinetic responses in focus: Azm-e-Istehkam’s early impact and volatility
In June 2024, the Apex Committee launched Operation Azm-e-Istehkam with a Rs. 60 billion allocation to reinforce NAP execution.
Initial returns showed a 62% reduction in terrorist attacks by July 2024, but fluctuations from August to October underscored an unstable threat environment and the need for persistence rather than episodic surges.
Parallel figures from recent ISPR briefings and provincial data show thousands of operations against cells, facilitators, and cross-border infiltration attempts.
The takeaway: kinetic pressure can suppress attack tempo, yet relapse risk remains without synchronised legal, political, and socio-economic follow-through.
Non-kinetic levers: curbing propaganda, scaling CVE, and regulating madaris
Point no. 2 action against terrorist use of media and cyber networks has yielded some of the clearest outputs: by 2023, approximately 1.3 million URLs were blocked for incitement, extremist propaganda, and hate speech, marking satisfactory progress.
Points no. 8 and 9 CVE policy and madrasa regulation, aim to build community resilience, normalise religious education standards, and deny extremist narratives a social base.
Registration expanded from 26,160 madaris in 2022 to about 30,000 in 2023 under Ittehad-e-Tanzeem-ul-Madaris Pakistan, with proposals to integrate oversight via the Education Department.
These steps strengthen oversight and messaging, but their preventive dividends depend on sustained teacher training, curriculum quality, and local acceptance.
Following the money and building capacity: FATF exit, CTD upgrades
Point no. 4 choking terror finance shows notable headway.
Pakistan exited the FATF list in Oct. 2022 after creating a National Task Force and tightening supervision.
NACTA’s Schedule IV list expanded from 2,646 in 2021 to 8,374 in 2024.
The State Bank reported 5,089 accounts blocked and over Rs. 157 million frozen in 2024 (versus 5,489 accounts and Rs. 169.55 million in 2021).
Together with Point no. 7, which strengthened provincial Counter-Terrorism Departments through higher budgets and surveillance tools, these measures indicate institutional maturation.
Meanwhile, Point no. 5 narcotics/smuggling control shows rising convictions and investigations, important because criminal economies bankroll militancy.
Overall, the finance and capacity track is one of NAP’s most consistent bright spots.
Structural headwinds: sectarian militancy, justice backlog, Balochistan reconciliation, and refugee management
Point no. 3 sectarian terrorism remains problematic: incidents rose to 18 by Oct. 2024 from 12 in 2023.
While 2024 saw three new groups banned (Zainbiyoun Brigade, Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, Majeed Brigade), earlier years recorded no fresh proscription.
Point no. 6 terrorism trials is hampered by judicial delays: between 2019–2022, 657 death sentences were awarded but no executions occurred, and as of Nov. 2024, 2,273 anti-terror cases remain pending.
Point no. 10 Balochistan reconciliation reports 3,500 surrenders and a Rs. 600 billion development package launched in 2021, yet persistent violence keeps progress rated unsatisfactory.
Points no. 11 and 12 merged areas reforms and criminal justice modernisation show mixed results, new police stations and training offset by court backlogs and prison overcrowding.
Point no. 13 legal architecture for espionage and secrecy still relies on the 1923 Official Secrets Act, signalling the need for contemporary definitions and safeguards.
Point no. 14 Afghan refugee repatriation, coordinated with UNHCR, reflects structured documentation and ongoing return satisfactory administratively, but requiring humanitarian sensitivity and cross border diplomacy.
Bottom line
Pakistan’s revised NAP has delivered credible wins in terror finance, CTD capacity, cyber takedowns, and aspects of regulation.
Yet sectarian violence, justice bottlenecks, uneven provincial execution, and the cross border threat keep risks elevated.
Converting tactical gains into strategic stability will require steady funding, judicial reform, depoliticised enforcement, and community level resilience. so that each NAP pillar reinforces the others rather than fighting alone.
All statistics in this article are sourced from ISSRA (Institute for Strategic Studies, Research and Analysis).
