The phrase Azm-e-Istehkam has been chosen by the government to emphasize onto the non-kinetic[further explanation needed] parameters of the operation aimed at socio-economic upliftment to counter extremism.

[5] Pakistan has been facing a looming Islamist insurgency in North-Western parts of the country since 2001 that came to haunt Pakistani state in an aftermath of 9/11 attacks.

The al-Qaeda terrorists fled Afghanistan seek refuge in the bordering Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan.

Responding to the threat posed by the Islamists, Pakistan Army under command of General Kayani's tenure started to turn the tide in its war against terrorism.

Pakistan Army under the Kayani Doctrine was able to capture six tribal agencies and four settled districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa including Swat and South Waziristan, which were two strongholds of TTP.

The last operation Zarb-e-Azb was conducted by the Kayani's successor General Raheel Sharif to purge last remaining agency of North Waziristan from the clutches of TTP.

However, massacre of schoolchildren in Peshawar and continues sense of insecurity forced Pakistani political leadership to draft National Action Plan.

In line with National Action Plan, Pakistan launched Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad under its commander COAS Qamar Javed Bajwa.

This operation was launched in order clean-off militants that escaped across country due to army's earlier campaigns in FATA.

Radd-ul-Fasaad vowed to tackle cross border militancy, purge sleeper cells in Urban Pakistan, flush of remnants militants escaped across country, and pursuit National Action Plan.The operation entailed the conduct of Broad Spectrum Security (Counter Terrorism) operations by Rangers in Punjab and Sindh, and by the Frontier Corps in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and focus on more effective border security management.

As a result of Radd-ul-Fasaad, TTP suffered huge losses and divided into various splinter groups that weakened its operational capabilities.

According to Delhi-based South Asian Terrorism Portal (SATP) 2019 was post peaceful year for Pakistan since the time of start of insurgency in 2004.

Resultantly since fall of Kabul in August 2021, Pakistan is confronted with renewed threat of terrorism as TTP has been injected with fresh dose of strength due to the victory of Taliban in Afghanistan.

The fresh recruits, easy access to US made weapons, and a sanctuary under the shadow of Afghan Taliban have once again bolstered the TTP to again target Pakistan.

He said militants in these operations were killed for creating “no-go areas” in the country and for challenging the writ of the state, adding that they caused massive displacement of the population.

[3] [148] According to ThePrint, the anti-terrorist operation was carried out under pressure from China,[149] as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has been hit by terrorist attacks many times before.