The recent revelation about thirteen terrorists caught before entering Islamabad by IG Islamabad leaves conflicting emotions. While the new Safe Cities project – which the IG claims is the reason the terrorists were apprehended – should be commended and replicated across the country, the deeper and more troubling problem of the freedom of movement allowed to terrorists is a cause for concern.

The capital almost sits on the border of two provinces, which in terms of a defensible location, is not really the best, if one takes the presence of militants in both provinces into account. And while the tribal agencies that border KPK have been cleansed from militancy, no one seems to know what became of the Punjab Operation.

Beyond taking out Chotu gang from Rajanpur, which in itself was not a targeted cleansing of extremist militants (just a fortunate coincidence), the government has not taken any steps to find and take out the numerous safe havens in Punjab. And when the army leapt into action following the confusion in Rajanpur and the attack on Gulshan-i-Iqbal park, Lahore, the government kept maintaining that the Counter Terrorism Department would be able to manage on its own.

It has only been a few months, and the only operation in Punjab seems to be targeted against innocent farmers in Okara.

Those of us that live in the major cities of the country often forget that the rest of Pakistan lags way behind in terms of development, security and the provision of basic services. And it’s not like the major cities are the shining examples of urban development either. But even if we forget about the lack of healthcare, education or energy in rural areas, the abysmal law and order situation in these areas, particularly for a country at war with the terrorists, spells doom for Pakistan as a whole.

Reports from areas that have a high density of militants in South Punjab may seem to be disconnected facts that do not affect our daily lives, but the fact is that these militants can bide their time and choose their opportunity to attack high-value targets all over the country. The Safe Cities project foiled one major attack. Before patting ourselves on the back, let us remember that no counter terrorism project will work each time without fail. So how about we try and eliminate the whole problem, instead of merely manning the walls?