Sir: There are some indications that the state is taking the threat of terrorism seriously as a number of operations have successfully been carried out against militants who were reportedly planning to attack citizens. However, the authorities must remain on their toes to prevent acts of terrorism. The state is relying on intelligence-led operations to prevent the incidents of terrorist violence. This is obviously the best way to proceed. However, it would be premature to assume that all bases have been covered: militants may currently be down, but they are far from being out of commission. The infrastructure that sustains and supports hate groups is arguably intact, even though many of the leaders of such outfits may be in custody or keeping a low profile. Moreover, with increasing talk of the presence of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, a virulent sectarian outfit, in Pakistan, a new threat has been added to the already existing ones. It will be an even more demanding task this year as the authorities have pledged to stamp out extremist violence. MUBASHIR KHALIL Rawalpindi