Pakistan recorded a noticeable decline in cross-border terrorist attacks and violence-linked deaths after it closed the border with Afghanistan on October 11, according to new security data.
Terrorist attacks fell by nearly 17 per cent in December, following a 9 per cent decline in November.
Fatalities among civilians and security personnel also dropped in the last quarter of 2025, showing a 4 per cent fall in November and a sharper 19 per cent decline in December.
The figures come from the annual security report 2025 released by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).
The report suggests that tighter border controls helped slow the pace of attacks toward the end of the year, even as overall security challenges remained severe.
2025 marked the most violent year in a decade
Despite the late-year improvement, 2025 emerged as Pakistan’s most violent year in the past ten years.
The CRSS report shows a 34 per cent rise in overall violence compared to 2024.
Fatalities linked to terrorism and counter-terrorism operations increased from 2,555 in 2024 to 3,417 in 2025, an increase of 862 deaths.
The report highlights that Pakistan has faced rising violence for five consecutive years since 2021, a period that coincides with the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan.
Annual violence rose by almost 38 per cent in 2021, over 15 per cent in 2022, 56 per cent in 2023, nearly 67 per cent in 2024, and 34 per cent in 2025.
KP and Balochistan bear the brunt
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained the worst-affected province.
Fatalities there jumped from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025, an increase of 711 deaths, accounting for over 82 per cent of the national rise.
Balochistan also saw higher violence, with fatalities increasing from 787 to 956.
Together, KP and Balochistan accounted for more than 96 per cent of all fatalities in 2025.
In contrast, Punjab and Sindh reported far fewer incidents. Gilgit-Baltistan remained the least affected region though fatalities rose from one to four over the year.
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