1 Zahid Anwar THE RISE AND FALL OF INSURGENCY IN NORTH WEST PAKISTAN Introduction: Nothing stands still, everything is in constant flux and without an iota of doubt one can not step into the same river twice. 1 This paper explores the phenomenon of insurgency in Pakistan in historical and comparative perspective. The critical appraisal of recent events in the region particularly on both sides of the Durand Line will help in understanding the nature, manifestations and implications of this imbroglio. Since Saur Revolution in Afghanistan in 1978 some important developments took place in this area of Asia for instance the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Afghans resistance to that invasion, disunion of the Soviet Union, war against terrorism, drug trafficking and political instability. It will be worthwhile to see the impact of these developments on the state and society of Pakistan with focus on militancy, insurgency, extremism, destabilization and terrorism. What kind of push and pull galvanized external and internal threats to sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan. It is an attempt to analyze the causes and remedies of the problem Pakistan is facing in this point in time. Setting the scene: From the very beginning till the USSR invasion of Afghanistan Pakistan was a moderate and pluralistic society. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan culminated in turning it into the last battlefield of the Cold War. The two superpowers i.e. USSR and USA fought a proxy war in Afghanistan in the 1980s. The West, the Muslim world and China supported Afghan resistance to the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Thousands of Afghans,