Twenty-four years ago, on a clear morning in New York, the world changed. The images of planes striking the Twin Towers on 11 September 2001 remain etched in global memory. Nearly 3,000 people died that day. But the aftershocks of 9/11 were not limited to America — they reshaped the entire world, and Pakistan perhaps bore one of the heaviest burdens.
For us, 9/11 was not just a tragedy we watched on TV screens. It was the beginning of a war that crept into our homes, our markets, our mosques.
The Cost We Paid
Since 2001, Pakistan has lost over 80,000 lives to terrorism. Soldiers, policemen, women, children — no segment of society was spared. Our cities became battlegrounds. From Karachi’s markets to Quetta’s streets, from the schools of Peshawar to the shrines of Sehwan, blood was shed.
Every shahadat of a soldier in Waziristan, every innocent killed in a blast in Lahore or Islamabad, was a reminder that Pakistan was paying in blood for a war it didn’t start but couldn’t avoid. And we are still paying. Just last month, officers embraced shahadat in Balochistan, fighting remnants of extremist groups that continue to target our peace.
A War Still Not Over
Some in the West say the “War on Terror” ended when foreign troops left Afghanistan. But ask any Pakistani, and they’ll tell you — it hasn’t ended for us. Terror networks may have weakened, but they are not gone. Their bombs still target our people, their propaganda still poisons young minds.
This is why our armed forces remain in the field. Operations like Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad broke the backbone of terrorism, but the fight is ongoing. It is now a war of vigilance, where the unity and resilience of the nation matter as much as the strength of our soldiers’ rifles.
The World Must Remember
Each year, as America mourns its dead, Pakistan mourns too — but not only for 9/11. We mourn the thousands who died after 9/11, in attacks that were the ripple effects of that day. We grieve for the schoolchildren of APS Peshawar, for worshippers targeted in mosques, for travelers blown up on buses.
The global community must recognize that Pakistan has been on the frontline of this war. We have carried a cost not just in blood but in economy, development, and reputation. It is easy for others to forget. We cannot.
Our Promise Forward
On this 9/11 anniversary, let us stand with all victims of terrorism — whether in New York, Kabul, Baghdad, or Quetta. Terrorism has no religion, no nationality, no justification. And Pakistan, despite its scars, continues to fight so that future generations may live free of its shadow.
The world changed on 11 September 2001. But for Pakistan, the war that followed still continues. Our resolve, however, remains unshaken. We will not let terror define us. We will keep resisting, keep rebuilding, and keep sacrificing until peace is no longer a dream but a reality.
