The Corps Commanders’ meeting at General Headquarters, presided over by the Chief of Army Staff, is the highest-ranking military gathering since the Balochistan attack nearly a week ago. The gravity of the attack, which claimed 50 lives, including 14 security personnel, warranted an all-hands-on-deck approach to devise a decisive strategy to eliminate this threat once and for all. It is encouraging to see both the government and the military taking responsibility for the situation in Balochistan and working toward a concentrated solution.

However, much of the discussion on Balochistan during the meeting seemed to echo previous dialogues. The press release issued afterward lacks detailed information on what the military plans to do in the coming months to address this crisis. While the reaffirmation of their resolve not to let hard-earned sacrifices go to waste is important, the public would have preferred more explicit details on what the military’s top brass is planning for their own reassurance. Although maintaining operational secrecy is understandable, a more in-depth discussion of the military’s intended actions would have provided much-needed clarity.

Additionally, the press release reiterated many objectives that the armed forces had previously outlined, such as advocating for a more robust legal framework to prosecute captured militants, focusing on social media monitoring to curb misinformation, and supporting law enforcement agencies to share some of the military’s burden. While these are all important goals that should be pursued collectively, the pressing need to address the specific challenges in Balochistan remains paramount. The mood in the populace is restive, Pakistan’s leadership must transmit confidence to them.