BRUSSELS, a European capital so traumatised by its connections to last November`s Paris attacks, has itself come under attack in the most shocking of ways. European society, particularly at the very heart of the EU, prides itself on its openness and interconnectedness and its symbols of those core values that the attackers sought to undermine with mass-casualty terror attacks in a crowded airport and a busy subway station. Europe will surely rebound, but gaping holes in its defences have raised questions about how quickly it will recover. Not only are two of the suspected attackers, brothers Khalid and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, believed to be linked to the Paris attacks, including helping Salah Abdeslam evade capture, but were known previously to Belgian authorities because of their criminal record. Clearly, Belgium`s, and perhaps more generally much of Europe`s, internal defence, intelligence and law-enforcement apparatuses will need to be overhauled.

Less clear is what can be done about the radicalisation among sections of European-born immigrant populations. Marginalisation from mainstream society, high unemployment and informal social networks that have been penetrated by a radical version of Islam are not issues that are easily tackled. The capture last week of Salah Abdeslam produced fresh hints about the scale of the problem in Belgium in particular Abdeslam allegedly evaded capture in his hometown by tapping into a network of supporters and well-wishers who were willing to offer shelter to a suspected mass murderer. Turning that situation around while staying true to the core values of European state and society is an unprecedented challenge. Moreover, Europe`s problems will be compounded by a possible rise in xenophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment in the wake of such attacks among significant sections of the population.

Whether or not the militant Islamic State group is able to pull off more large-scale attacks, Europe is set for a long and painful readjustment.

Here in Pakistan, there are warning signs about the lure of IS and its modus operandi that ought to be heeded. The Paris and Brussels attacks have confirmed what was already thought to be a serious challenge for Europe its citizens travelling to Syria to become part of IS and returning home more dangerous and radicalised than ever. Pakistan, with its porous borders and known militant hotbeds, is already believed to have seen several of its citizens travel to Syria to join IS and some of those citizens have returned home. With the state so focused on its fight against the banned TTP, does it have the resources to track emerging threats? Online radicalisation poses an even more complex problem with no physical connection to known militant outfits required and many an educated mind here open to being seduced by religious radicalism. Pakistan has already suffered the horrors of Al Qaeda, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and the TTP; IS and groups inspired by its brand of militancy need to be fought before they can metastasise into a national threat.