The Impacts of Militancy and Counterterrorism on Social Structures in Merged Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: A Study from 2001 to 2025

Abstract

Based on the most compelling available research, this study investigate the implications of militancy and counter terrorism measures in work at Pakistan’s merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) former FATA from 2001 to 2025. It also examines how long-term conflicts has transformed traditional tribal forms of governance, undermined social ties and inflicted severe psychological scars- especially on the youth. Military operations although played an important role in the peace making however, often results in population displacement, undermined traditional cultural values and caused destructions of public facilities including educational, health and infrastructure services. Current study is an attempt to highlight that how traditional governance mechanisms such as the authority of Maliks (tribal chiefs), the operation of jirgas and hujras (socially designated spaces) that once underpinned stability were facing erosion. Narratives of violent, hateful extremism have further damaged cultural identity across defined boundaries and have the knock-on socio-political effects of militarization and sudden imposition by command of centralized governance. For instance, the region is mired in protracted instability and suffers from high rates of unemployment, widespread informal economic activities and a loss of traditional sources of livelihoods. This study also highlights the importance of embracing inclusive, contextually-specific, and community-centric development practices. It calls for all-encompassing rehabilitation programmes, youth engagement and tribal-sensitive policies to employment. The study is conducted through an interdisciplinary lens and contributes to the discourse on post-conflict reconstruction, the socio-political aftermath of counterinsurgency, and pathways to regional peace building. In the end, it reinforces that a lasting peace in the tribal belt of Pakistan, like any other region of the world, can only be achieved with consistency of governing bodies and the adoption of incentivize social solidarity with the community.