• Security
• Thu 01 2026

Pakistan Security Report 2025: Terrorism Trends and the Peace Deficit

Despite delivering record losses to militant networks, Pakistan faced a sharp rise in terrorist violence in 2025, reflecting a complex and evolving internal security landscape. According to the Pakistan Security Report 2025 by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), terrorist activity increased significantly, underscoring the adaptive nature of militant groups amid regional instability, particularly following developments in Afghanistan.

Key National Statistics (2025)

• Total terrorist attacks: 699
• Total fatalities: 1,034
• Total injured: 1,366
• Increase in attacks: 34% year-on-year
• Increase in fatalities: 21%
• Security personnel martyred: 437 (over 42% of total deaths)
• Civilian fatalities: 354
• Militants neutralized: 243 (in suicide attacks and counterterrorism operations)

 These figures highlight the Pakistan Army and law enforcement agencies’ frontline role and heavy sacrifices in defending state sovereignty and public safety.

Geographic Concentration of Threat

Over 95% of attacks occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, indicating a highly regionalized threat environment.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)

• 413 attacks (40% increase)
• 581 fatalities, 698 injured

Balochistan

• 254 attacks (26% increase)
• 419 fatalities, 607 injured

Other Regions

• Sindh: 21 attacks (16 in Karachi), 14 killed
• Punjab: 7 attacks, 5 killed
• Islamabad: 12 killed in a suicide attack near a legal complex
• Gilgit-Baltistan: 3 attacks, 3 security personnel martyred

Evolving Militant Tactics

• Shift from isolated incidents to coordinated, multi-district operations
• Improved militant planning, logistics, and cross-provincial coordination\
• Exploitation of rugged terrain and border complexities
• Indicates operational pressure on militants, forcing them to adapt rather than expand freely

Strategic Assessment

According to the Islamabad Center for Peace and Education (ICPE), 2025 underscores not the failure of military operations, but their strategic containment effect. The Pakistan Army’s sustained kinetic actions have significantly degraded militant leadership and infrastructure; however, terrorism persists due to broader structural and regional challenges beyond the battlefield.

Key Contributing Factors Identified

• Cross-border movement and external sanctuaries exploited by fleeing militants
• Socioeconomic underdevelopment in conflict-prone districts
• Weak local governance and delayed justice mechanisms
• Ideological exploitation of grievances, particularly targeting youth

Way Forward: Building on Military Gains

ICPE emphasizes that durable peace must consolidate the Army’s security successes through a whole-of-state approach:

• Enhanced civil–military coordination to translate battlefield gains into lasting stability
• Stronger border management and regional engagement to restrict militant mobility
• Focused investment in education, economic inclusion, and youth empowerment
• Community-based counter-extremism, de-radicalization, and rehabilitation initiatives

ICEP’s Concluding Remarks

The Pakistan Security Report 2025 presents sobering realities but also affirms the resilience, resolve, and effectiveness of Pakistan’s security forces, particularly the Pakistan Army, which continues to absorb the heaviest cost in the fight against terrorism. While the threat remains dynamic, militant groups have failed to achieve strategic momentum due to sustained military pressure.

Going forward, 2025 should mark a strategic pivot: consolidating military achievements with governance reforms, development, and peacebuilding—ensuring that national security is reinforced not only through force, but through inclusion, institutional strength, and long-term stability.