For too long, when people talked about Pakistan and terrorism, one image might have unfairly stuck in their minds: Abbottabad. Yes, that was a difficult moment for us, a chapter that brought a lot of international attention. But if you only look at that, you’re missing the much bigger, truer story of Pakistan’s deep commitment, our incredible sacrifices, and how we’ve grown stronger fighting extremism. Reducing our nation’s journey of two decades – full of tough policies, immense losses, and constant learning – to just one event simply doesn’t do justice to who we are.
Let’s talk about Abbottabad with open hearts. It was a tough time, a serious wake-up call. But what truly shows Pakistan’s character is how we faced it. We didn’t shy away. We, ourselves, set up the Abbottabad Commission to dig deep and understand what went wrong. Their report was frank, admitting “collective failures.” That takes courage. For a nation to publicly examine itself like that, especially on something so sensitive, shows real strength and a commitment to being better. We chose honesty over excuses, because that’s how you build a stronger future.
Now, some have tried to twist this story, suggesting that because there was a failure, there must have been complicity. Let me be absolutely clear: our own thorough investigation found no evidence that the Pakistani state was deliberately helping bin Laden. What it did show were system gaps, things we needed to improve – challenges many nations face. Honestly, does it make any sense that Pakistan, a country that has lost so much to terrorism, would knowingly protect the world’s most wanted terrorist right next to our most prestigious military academy, Kakul? It’s just not logical. We owned up to the mistakes in our systems, and we worked hard to fix them.
And fix them, we did. Abbottabad wasn’t an end; it was a catalyst for real, positive change. We used those hard lessons to make ourselves stronger. The Commission’s ideas led to big improvements in how our intelligence agencies work together, how our police forces operate, and how we manage our borders. These weren’t just plans on paper; they became real actions that have made our fight against terror more effective. And we did all this while dealing with huge challenges in our region, like conflicts next door and taking in millions of refugees. That’s Pakistani resilience.
If you only focus on the tough times, you miss the incredible list of successes Pakistan has had in making the world safer. Our nation has been absolutely central in taking down some of Al-Qaeda’s top leaders. Think about Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Abu Zubaydah, Abu Faraj al-Libbi – these weren’t just names; they were serious threats to global peace, and Pakistan played a vital role in bringing them to justice. Our commitment hasn’t faded. Just recently, in 2025, our teamwork was key to catching Sharifullah, the ISIS-K planner behind that terrible Kabul airport bombing. These are the actions of a nation determined to fight terror.
But more than any operation, Pakistan’s story in this fight is written in the sacrifices of our people. We’ve lost over 80,000 Pakistanis – our brave soldiers, our dedicated police, our innocent men, women, and children. This isn’t just a number for us; it’s a wound we all carry. In response, we launched some of the biggest military operations anywhere in the world on our own soil – Zarb-e-Azb, Radd-ul-Fasaad, and now Azm-e-Istehkam. We fought hard to clear our land of terrorists and bring peace back to our communities. We weren’t just a ‘partner’ in a distant war; we were fighting for our own homes, our own future.
This path of self-reflection and unwavering action is one we chose willingly. And look, this is where it gets really tough for us as Pakistanis. When we turn our eyes east, to our neighbors, what we see is genuinely painful. Think about the Samjhota Express tragedy – all those precious lives lost, so many of them our own people. And to this day, there’s this feeling that real justice was never served, like the people behind it were just let go. Then you see these other incredibly serious incidents, like Pulwama, like Pahalgam, and it’s like hitting a brick wall trying to get a straight, open investigation where everyone can see the facts. It just leaves this cloud of unanswered questions hanging over everything, and a deep sense that no one is ever truly going to be held to account for what happened. Furthermore, the daily reports of extremist activities by groups like the RSS, and the deeply concerning allegations that these actions often occur with state cover or impunity, paint a starkly different picture. This contrast, where one nation introspects and reforms while another seemingly evades scrutiny for state-implicated violence, is a significant impediment to regional peace and trust.
So, yes, Abbottabad was a difficult chapter. But it’s just one page in a much longer book about Pakistan’s strength, our sacrifices, and our relentless efforts to create a peaceful world, even as we contend with these regional double standards. We faced the storm, we learned, we adapted, and we came out more determined than ever. Pakistan stands proud of our role, a resilient nation fully committed to working with the world to end terrorism, for the sake of our children and for generations to come. That’s the real story of Pakistan.
