There are years in Pakistan’s history that draw a clear line between “before” and “after.” Years such as 1940, 1947, 1971, 1998, and 2007 are widely viewed as turning points. Curiously, however, the year 1979 has received little such recognition—although it is arguably the year that had the most defining impact on the landscape of terrorism in Pakistan. A confluence of global events, internal rifts, and ideological awakenings made the year a breeding ground for extremism, with its aftershocks still reverberating through the foundations of the country.
In February 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew Shah Reza Pahlavi and established the Islamic Republic of Iran, transforming Iran from a secular monarchy into a strict Shia theocracy. As Iran changed, Sunni-majority nations responded with alarm. In Pakistan, this translated into an increasingly hostile sectarian atmosphere. Fearing Shia ascendancy, the Deobandis, led by Maulana Haq Nawaz Jhangvi, formed Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan in 1985—the first sectarian organisation to openly challenge Shia communities. Its emergence gave rise to the Shia militant organisation Sipah-e-Muhammad in 1993. As a reaction to this development, a militant offshoot of SSP, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, was formed in 1996—institutionalising a new era of sectarian killings. The seeds of these groups were watered in the shadow of the Iranian Revolution.
The hanging of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on 4 April 1979 fractured the political landscape. The legal justifications for his execution have remained contentious, but its socio-political consequences are undeniable. Sindh erupted in anger, giving rise to the MRD movement in the early 1980s. But perhaps more notably, Bhutto’s supporters turned to terror as a form of retaliation. The hijacking of PIA Flight 326 by Al-Zulfiqar militants in 1981, allegedly with backing from Afghan intelligence, marked the beginning of transnational political terrorism from Pakistani soil. It was a jarring shift from conventional political protest to armed sabotage. For the first time in Pakistan’s history, the language of militancy entered the mainstream political lexicon, setting a precedent that would be echoed by other violent actors in the years to come. What had begun as a movement for political justice evolved into a template for ideologically motivated violence.
Meanwhile, distant political developments in the West would also find their way into Pakistan’s story. When Margaret Thatcher assumed office as the UK’s first female Prime Minister in May 1979, few could have predicted her influence on the fate of South Asia. Her alliance with President Ronald Reagan became central to Western efforts to bleed the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Thatcher’s support for the Mujahideen, along with U.S. and Saudi coordination, turned Pakistan into a launchpad for militant operations. As arms, funds, and fighters poured into the region, the infrastructure of jihad began to form—long before it became a threat to its original architects. This transnational agenda redefined Pakistan’s strategic calculus and further embedded the logic of militarised faith within its national security thinking.
Later that year, the Grand Mosque in Mecca was besieged on 20 November, sending shockwaves across the Muslim world. Challenging the legitimacy of the Saudi monarchy, Juhayman al-Utaybi and his followers seized the holy mosque. After the rebellion was quelled, Saudi Arabia began a programme of conservative renewal. Already leaning toward Islamisation under General Zia-ul-Haq, Pakistan immediately positioned itself along this path. The wave of religious conservatism provided room for religious parties, strengthened the clergy, and gently softened the ground for more extreme ideas to blossom. It also confirmed a long-standing political relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, based not just on oil and remittances but increasingly on common religious orthodoxy.
But it was in December 1979 that the mother of all bad omens struck Pakistan—and would have the most far-reaching impact. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan turned Pakistan from a regional actor into a geopolitical frontline state. Refugees crossed in by the millions. Weapons and ideology followed. Countless young men, under the banner of jihad, were trained and sent to Afghanistan to fight. This influx transformed Pakistan’s demography, economy, and internal cohesion. Ethnic fault lines sharpened. Urban crime grew. Militancy acquired a moral language and operational sanctity. “Survival of Pakistan” became the mantra, drowning out the long-term harmful effects on the body politic of the country. Schools, seminaries, and tribal networks morphed into logistical pipelines. What began as a Cold War necessity quickly took on a life of its own, growing in scale, complexity, and impunity.
Though only a child at the time, I still recall glimpses of the Pakistan of the 1970s—a country grappling with its challenges, yes, but largely at peace. Tourists roamed freely, mingling with a hospitable population, and the spectre of terrorism had yet to darken the national mood. After 1979, that image began to fade. The non-state actors once cultivated for foreign agendas evolved their ideologies, funding sources, and enemies. Emboldened, they eventually began challenging the state itself. A Frankenstein’s monster had been unleashed—and it proved impossible to contain. Since then, Pakistan has struggled to re-bottle the genie of terrorism, one that keeps mutating, finding new forms, justifications, and targets.
Looking back, 1979 was more a melting pot than merely a year of unrest—the only year in which the dividing line between strategy and survival, faith and fanaticism, politics and insurgency began to vanish. Internal conflict, foreign objectives, and increasing ideological passion combined to generate a storm whose effects still shape the story of Pakistan. It would be futile to wander through history, aimlessly seeking the roots of Pakistan's terrorism, without taking into account the events of 1979. For lawmakers, professionals, and the general public alike, revisiting this significant year is not only a scholarly endeavour but also a critical lens through which to view the issues of today.
1979 changed the mosaic of terrorism in Pakistan forever.