In a candid assessment of regional security dynamics, former Interior Minister of Pakistan, Lt. General (R) Moinuddin Haider, has asserted that international and regional efforts to eliminate terrorism emanating from Afghanistan have consistently fallen short over the past several decades. He emphasized that the challenge is not merely a contemporary security issue but is deeply embedded in the region's complex historical, ethnic, and geopolitical fabric. Haider argued that without a fundamental re-evaluation of strategies and sustained, genuine cooperation among all stakeholders — including Afghanistan's neighbors and global powers — the cycle of violence and instability will continue. In my opinion, Haider's critique is both timely and necessary. The international community has often treated the terrorism problem in Afghanistan as a short-term military objective rather than a long-term socio-political crisis. The failure lies not just in lack of effort but in a refusal to address root causes such as foreign interference, economic deprivation, and ideological extremism nurtured over decades. For any future policy to succeed, it must shift from reactive military operations to proactive diplomatic, developmental, and intelligence-sharing frameworks that respect the sovereignty and agency of regional nations. Pakistan, as a frontline state, has borne immense costs; but durable peace will only come when all parties acknowledge shared responsibility and move beyond blame games.