TERRORISM IS A GLOBAL THREAT: LESSONS FROM THE SYDNEY BONDI BEACH ATTACK

On a sunlit stretch of sand in Sydney, where families gathered expecting nothing more than peace and celebration, terror arrived without warning. The attack on Bondi Beach in December 2025 was not merely an Australian tragedy; it was a brutal reminder that violent extremism has escaped every geographical boundary humanity once believed would protect it. The shock was intensified by the setting itself—open, democratic, far removed from conflict zones—yet the ideology behind the violence was grimly familiar. Once again, the world was forced to confront an uncomfortable truth: terrorism today is not localised chaos but a globally exported menace, sustained by long-standing networks, permissive environments and state complacency. And no serious global conversation on terrorism can continue without naming Pakistan’s central role in this ecosystem.

While Australian authorities continue to investigate the specific motivations and affiliations of the perpetrators, the broader pattern into which this attack fits are unmistakable. For decades, extremist ideologies incubated in South Asia—particularly those tolerated, nurtured, or strategically ignored by Pakistan—have metastasised across borders. From Europe to North America, from the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific, the fingerprints of radicalisation trace back not to isolated individuals alone, but to systemic failures and deliberate policies that allowed jihadist infrastructure to survive and adapt.

Pakistan’s relationship with terrorism is not an allegation born of emotion or politics; it is a matter of record. The country has repeatedly appeared in international assessments as a hub where extremist groups operate, recruit, fundraise and propagate ideology. Organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and others have been designated as terrorist entities by the United Nations, yet their leadership structures, charitable fronts and propaganda arms have often functioned with impunity. The Financial Action Task Force placed Pakistan on its grey list for years precisely because of its failure to decisively dismantle terror financing networks. These are not accusations from adversaries alone; they are conclusions drawn by global watchdogs.

The global consequences of this permissive environment are visible in bloodshed across continents. The 2008 Mumbai attacks, which killed over 160 people, were meticulously planned from Pakistani soil. The Pulwama suicide bombing, targeting Indian security forces, was claimed openly by a Pakistan-based group. Repeated attacks in Afghanistan, carried out by factions with sanctuaries across the Durand Line, further demonstrate how terrorism exported from one geography destabilises entire regions. The Bondi Beach attack, though geographically distant, belongs to the same continuum of global extremist violence that thrives when ideological factories are left intact.

For Kashmiris, this reality carries a particularly heavy burden. Pakistan has long attempted to cloak its sponsorship of militancy in Kashmir under the rhetoric of “solidarity” and “liberation.” In doing so, it has hijacked legitimate political grievances and drowned them in the language of jihad. Every terrorist act linked—directly or indirectly—to Pakistani networks further contaminates Kashmir’s image in the international arena. The Kashmiri people, who have endured decades of conflict, surveillance and suffering, are repeatedly forced to answer for violence they neither author nor endorse.

The Sydney attack once again illustrates how Pakistan’s long game with extremism rebounds not just on its neighbours but on innocent civilians worldwide. Radicalised individuals do not emerge in isolation. They are products of narratives—sermons, online propaganda, training manuals and martyrdom glorification—that have circulated for years through networks originating in Pakistan. When such ideology finds its way into the hands of individuals abroad, the consequences are catastrophic and indiscriminate.

Equally damaging is Pakistan’s persistent strategy of denial. After every major terror incident with international implications, the response follows a familiar script: condemnation without accountability, distancing without dismantling, and outrage over “defamation” rather than introspection. This refusal to fully sever ties with extremist proxies has eroded Pakistan’s credibility on the world stage. It has also ensured that terrorism remains a recurring export, even when the immediate perpetrators act thousands of kilometres away.

The Bondi Beach tragedy should therefore be read not as an isolated eruption of violence, but as a symptom of a disease the international community has tolerated for far too long. Terrorism cannot be selectively condemned. States cannot claim victimhood while simultaneously allowing extremist infrastructure to survive within their borders. Until Pakistan decisively dismantles the ideological, financial and logistical scaffolding of jihadist groups, attacks like Sydney will remain not anomalies, but inevitabilities.

The call to action is clear. Kashmiris must remain vigilant against narratives that glorify or excuse violence in the name of resistance. The global community must move beyond diplomatic euphemisms and hold states accountable not only for attacks they carry out, but for the ecosystems they enable. Terrorism thrives where accountability dies and Pakistan’s decades-long indulgence of extremism has cost the world dearly.

In conclusion, the sands of Bondi Beach now carry a painful memory that resonates far beyond Australia. They echo a global warning: terrorism is no longer confined by borders and its roots must be confronted honestly. Pakistan’s central role in sustaining extremist ideology is not a matter of opinion but of accumulated evidence. Until this reality is addressed with seriousness and resolve, the world will continue to mourn lives lost in places that should have remained untouched by war. For Kashmir and for humanity at large, the path forward lies in truth, accountability and the unequivocal rejection of terror—wherever it is born and whoever enables it.