Pakistan is facing a renewed wave of militancy, from a deadly mosque attack in Islamabad to a major coordinated assault in Balochistan, where security forces say more than 200 militants were killed.

With the capital already on edge after last year’s suicide bombing at district courts, the timing of the latest attack, coinciding with the visit of Uzbekistan’s president, has raised fresh concerns about security and preparedness.

In this in-depth conversation on The Blue Newsroom, former Defence Secretary Lt General (retd) Naeem Khalid Lodhi joins Amber Shamsi to examine what is driving this resurgence of violence. The discussion explores whether Pakistan’s foreign policy choices have had unintended consequences, and how governance failures, political instability, and internal security gaps are compounding the threat.

Looking beyond the headlines, the episode unpacks the limits of a purely security-centric approach and the difficult course corrections Pakistan may need to prevent further instability.