ABSTRACT
A reasonably objective assessment of ‘Pakistan’s War on Terror’ can only begin with acknowledging two facts. First, there has been an unprecedented level of terrorist violence in Pakistan for the past three years. In terms of casualties, it is next only to Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2009, Pakistan was hit by 1,915 attacks killing 2,670 persons as compared to 2,458 attacks in Iraq and 2,126 in Afghanistan. 1 Second, the Pakistan army and its paramilitary forces have been engaged in counter-terrorism operations in a large swath of area dominated by Al-Qaeda and the Taliban elements on both sides of the Durand Line since October 2001. 2
