On a turbulent Monday, September 22, 2025, Pakistan found itself at the intersection of tragedy, political drama, and high-stakes diplomacy. The day began with devastating news from the Tirah Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where more than 20 people were killed and several homes destroyed in a massive explosion. Official accounts reported that the blast stemmed from bomb-making materials stored in a compound by members of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), but conflicting reports and deep-seated suspicions in the region have cast a shadow over the tragedy.
The X handle of PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa posted, "During the jet aircraft bombing in the Tirah Valley of Khyber, several bombs fell on the local population…five houses of local citizens were destroyed, and according to local sources, 20 bodies have been recovered from the rubble so far, including children and women among the martyrs…" As reported by multiple sources, the destruction was immediate and profound, with families torn apart and entire homes reduced to rubble. The inclusion of women and children among the deceased only heightened the sense of loss and outrage in the valley.
Authorities were quick to attribute the blast to bomb-making activities by the TTP, with a police officer telling the Associated Press that two local Taliban commanders, Aman Gul and Masood Khan, had established hideouts in the very compound that exploded. This location, according to officials, was being used as a factory for producing roadside bombs—a grim reminder of the ongoing militant threat in the region. Yet, as is often the case in Pakistan's volatile northwest, some local voices insisted that the Pakistani armed forces had carried out airstrikes in the area, reigniting old debates about the cost of military crackdowns and the toll they take on civilian lives.
The roots of the TTP run deep. According to the United Nations Security Council, the group—also known as the Pakistan Taliban—emerged in 2007 as an alliance of militant factions galvanized by Pakistani military operations against Al-Qaida-linked groups in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. Led initially by Baitullah Mehsud until his death in a 2009 U.S. drone strike, the TTP at its zenith controlled vast stretches of northwestern Pakistan and orchestrated a campaign of violence that included the infamous 2014 Peshawar school massacre, which left 132 children and nine staff dead.
Although the TTP's influence waned in the years that followed, the group received a fresh boost after the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2011. The TTP, adhering to a strict Deobandi interpretation of Islamic law, has consistently sought to overthrow Pakistan's government, which it views as insufficiently Islamic, and has denounced Islamabad’s cooperation with the United States in the so-called 'war on terror.' The Pakistani establishment, for its part, has long harbored suspicions about the group’s external backers and has at times blamed neighboring India for its rise. Islamabad once hoped that the Taliban’s resurgence in Kabul would mean less shelter for TTP militants across the border, but those hopes have proven unfounded. In March 2024, Pakistan even launched airstrikes targeting TTP militants inside Afghanistan—a move that, according to the Taliban regime, killed five women and three children. The cycle of violence, it seems, is far from over.
While Khyber Pakhtunkhwa mourned its dead, the political heart of Pakistan was beating to the rhythm of its own dramas. On September 23, 2025, a district and sessions court in Islamabad issued an arrest warrant for former Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, a senior figure in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. As reported by Geo News, Judicial Magistrate Mubashir Hassan Chishti issued the warrant after Ismail failed to appear in court regarding a case stemming from the PTI's "Azadi March" in 2022—a protest movement that saw widespread unrest, accusations of vandalism, and clashes with law enforcement.
Ismail was booked at Bara Kahu Police Station for his alleged role in rioting and damage to public property during the November 2022 long march, which was led by then-PTI chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The march, which began on October 28, 2022, was a bold attempt to pressure the coalition government into calling early elections. It drew thousands to the streets of multiple Pakistani cities, culminating in a tense standoff in Islamabad. The movement ended when Khan announced the dissolution of the assembly, but its aftershocks continue to reverberate through Pakistan’s political landscape. Ismail’s resignation from PTI in May 2023, following a nationwide crackdown on party leaders after violent protests erupted in response to Imran Khan's arrest, only underscored the volatility of the moment. The warrant against Ismail is just the latest in a series of legal actions targeting senior PTI leaders, as the judiciary continues to sift through the wreckage of 2022 and 2023’s protests.
Amidst these stormy events, former Prime Minister and PTI founding chairman Imran Khan remains at the center of the nation’s attention—even as he sits behind bars. On Monday, Khan described the recently signed strategic mutual defence agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as "highly significant," emphasizing the need for Pakistan to "enhance and restore its global engagement." His sister, Aleema Khan, relayed his comments to reporters outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, adding, "Imran Khan stated that protecting the Holy Mosques is an honour for us." According to Business Recorder, Aleema Khan also revealed that for the past three years, PTI had attempted to negotiate with the establishment, only to face intensified crackdowns. In her words, "there is no benefit of negotiation." Khan, through his sister, directed PTI leaders Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Ghandpur, and Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif not to engage in talks with the establishment unless they "come to jail."
Despite his incarceration, Khan continues to shape PTI’s strategy, urging the nation to participate in a rally scheduled for September 27, 2025, in Peshawar and appointing Ali Amin Gandapur and Junaid Akbar as rally coordinators. The party faithful, it seems, are far from demoralized. Meanwhile, the legal saga known as the Toshakhana II case grinds on, with the statements of two more prosecution witnesses recorded on September 23, bringing the total to 20. Eighteen have already been cross-examined, with the defence set to question the remaining two at the next hearing.
In a lighter, if still pointed, aside, Khan also turned his attention to cricket, blaming Mohsin Naqvi for destabilizing the national team and reminding the public of the squad’s stunning 10-wicket victory over India in October 2021—a rare moment of unity and pride in a country often beset by discord.
As Pakistan grapples with violence in its tribal regions, legal battles in its courts, and high-profile diplomacy abroad, one thing is clear: the country is at a crossroads. The choices made in the coming weeks—by its leaders, its courts, and its people—will shape its future in ways both profound and unpredictable.