The discovery of a terrorist hideout less than two miles from Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif’s residence in Raiwind should show the political leadership the grave nature of the security threat posed by al Qaeda, the Taliban, and their associates. Hitherto the PM blithely assumed, as did his advisors, that his attempt to make peace with the terrorists via talks and his tolerance of sectarian outfits in his home province would make him less of a target, but as has been argued consistently in this space, the PM is the first target for terrorists, particularly this PM because he leads a strong political party and without him there could possibly be political tussles and chaos. That is the terrorists’ goal: to create political turmoil that they can exploit to make tactical or territorial gains as they have done in Iraq and Syria. It seems that many terrorists including senior commanders managed to escape from North Waziristan and we can be certain they are waiting for an opportunity to cause anarchy. This also highlights the possible strategic role that sectarian militant groups could play in collaboration with their ideological brethren. Reports say that at least one of the militants killed in the operation was trained by Lashkar-e-Taiba before joining al Qaeda, showing how these groups are fast becoming assets for ‘Jihad Global’. The terrorists caught near Raiwind were mostly indistinguishable from other residents and were caught after a complicated investigation that culminated in Thursday’s events. Further investigation will undoubtedly unearth more such cells. Civilian law enforcement and intelligence agencies are beginning to raise their performance and reforms introduced last year are taking effect, but more needs to be done soon because this chase ended next to the PM’s residence. Intelligence sharing gave the police a tip-off on where to go, but this is the exception to the rule since most of the intelligence agencies exist in an atmosphere of mutual distrust. The National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) was created to foster intelligence cooperation but has been virtually moribund since its formation. Without Nawaz Sharif the PML-N lacks a strong candidate to hold the party together and the factionalism that might follow his absence would at best possibly incapacitate the civilian leadership and at worst tear the country apart. The military has a well defined chain of command and immediate, viable replacements for the COAS should something make it impossible for him to carry out his duties. This is simply not the case with the government. When we speak about a political narrative against terrorism, this is where it begins, i.e. a chain of command, consensus, and planning that defines how the leadership will react in a worst-case scenario. Ineffectual management is not tolerable in the present circumstances. What, for example, is the law ministry’s response to the military’s concern over terrorists being acquitted by the courts after being caught? What is the interior ministry doing about increasing security for judges and witnesses facing intimidation in anti-terrorist cases? So far the government’s response has been the Protection of Pakistan Act intended to bypass due process, which raises serious human rights concerns. What it should be doing is training and assisting prosecutors while giving police the tools to find evidence admissible in court to meet the stringent requirements of anti-terrorist proceedings. The incident in Raiwind should be a wake-up call for the PM to provide leadership because no one is safe. He needs to bring the nation into the loop about the ongoing crisis. He must be candid and truthful; this lies at the heart of developing a political narrative to combat terrorism, or else the terrorists will be able to move and act freely among the civilian population. The terrorist strategy is clear: to immobilise the army, which they desperately fear, and fragment the country so they can take control bit by bit. It is the political forces that must unite to hold the country together and they must do so now. *