3 days ago
Pakistan Ranks First in Terrorism as Global Violence Declines
Pakistan had more terrorism deaths in 2025 than any other country in the Global Terrorism Index.
There were 1,139 deaths and 1,045 terrorist incidents.
Much of the violence was caused by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, also called the Pakistani Taliban.
The group mainly attacked Pakistan’s military and police.
The Balochistan Liberation Army also carried out serious attacks, including taking over a passenger train.
Violence was especially concentrated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Pakistan says the Taliban government in Afghanistan lets the Pakistani Taliban operate from Afghan territory, but Kabul denies this.
At the same time, terrorism decreased in most of the world, making Pakistan’s worsening situation especially noticeable.
Pakistan ranked as the country most affected by terrorism, recording 1,139 deaths and 1,045 incidents in 2025.
The country’s terrorism deaths reached their highest level since 2013, extending a six-year rise.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan carried out 595 attacks and caused 637 deaths, including 416 military and police personnel.
The Balochistan Liberation Army intensified attacks, including the seizure of the Jaffar Express near Quetta.
Worldwide terrorism declined in 2025, with deaths falling nearly 28 percent and attacks dropping 22 percent.
- Who
- Pakistan, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, the Balochistan Liberation Army, and the Taliban government in Afghanistan are central to the report.
- What
- Pakistan became the country most affected by terrorism, with rising attacks and deaths driven mainly by TTP and BLA militants.
- Where
- The violence was concentrated especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, with wider tensions along the Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier.
- When
- The reported figures cover 2025; tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated further in February 2026.
- Why
- The deterioration was linked to expanded TTP activity, Baloch separatist attacks, and worsening relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Position and Security Critics
Afghanistan’s Denial and Alternative Priorities
TTP operating from Afghanistan
Pakistan’s Position and Security Critics
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of allowing Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan to operate from Afghan territory.
Afghanistan’s Denial and Alternative Priorities
Kabul has denied the allegations.
Response to the crisis
Pakistan’s Position and Security Critics
Pakistani analysts argue that counterterrorism should be a higher priority than creating new provinces or administrative units.
Afghanistan’s Denial and Alternative Priorities
Former officials cited in the report support debating administrative restructuring through Parliament and the constitutional process, while the report does not present a detailed alternative counterterrorism strategy.
Military escalation
Pakistan’s Position and Security Critics
Pakistan declared a state of war and launched airstrikes on Kabul and Kandahar in February 2026, according to the index.
Afghanistan’s Denial and Alternative Priorities
The escalation raised concerns about displacement, weakened border controls, and more operating space for militant groups.
Key facts
- Pakistan terrorism deaths
- 1,139 in 2025
- Terrorist incidents
- 1,045 incidents in Pakistan in 2025
- Global terrorism deaths
- 5,582 people killed worldwide in 2025
- TTP attacks
- 595 attacks, up from 481 in 2024
- TTP-attributed deaths
- 637 people, including 416 military or police personnel
- Pakistan index score
- 8.574, ranking ahead of Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, and Mali
- Regional concentration
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan accounted for over 74% of attacks and 67% of deaths
Quotes
Former Pakistan ambassador to the United States
A former Pakistani ambassador to the United States commenting on Pakistan’s terrorism record.
“At such a moment, the most urgent question for the Interior Ministry should surely be: Why has Pakistan deteriorated from 7th to 1st in just three years — and what is the strategy to reverse it? Instead, considerable political attention has been devoted to advocating new provinces or administrative units, with the Interior Minister arguing that they will eventually have to be created.”
theprint.in
“This is what happens when you keep snakes in the backyard of your house: one day, the household members get bitten too. Pakistan began arming extremist jihadists fifty years ago. Now Pakistan is at the very top among countries targeted by terrorist attacks. Is there anyone willing to learn a lesson?”
theprint.in
Sources
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