How Did the Security Situation in Pakistan Deteriorate So Sharply in 2025?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Pakistan's security situation deteriorated sharply in 2025.
- 699 attacks were recorded, a 34% increase from 2024.
- 1,034 fatalities and 1,366 injuries were reported.
- Violence is primarily concentrated in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
- Religiously motivated groups are largely responsible for the escalating violence.
Islamabad, Jan 6 (NationPress) The security landscape in Pakistan saw a significant decline in 2025, marking the fifth successive year of escalating conflict and violence. The Pakistan Security Report 2025 by PIPS indicated that 699 attacks occurred throughout the nation, reflecting a substantial 34 percent increase compared to 2024.
These attacks resulted in the deaths of 1,034 individuals and left 1,366 others injured, indicating a 21 percent rise in fatalities. The total instances of conflict-related violence, which includes attacks, counterterrorism operations, border skirmishes, and abductions, surged to 1,124 incidents—a striking 43 percent increase from the previous year. Such occurrences signify a crisis that is rapidly expanding and becoming increasingly difficult to manage, as reported by the Pakistani daily Dawn.
Security forces have borne a significant brunt of these attacks, with police stations, patrols, and checkpoints frequently under threat, according to the report. Most incidents were reported from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Attacks on law enforcement have become alarmingly common in the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Insurgents in Balochistan have shifted their tactics from hit-and-run strategies to more organized methods such as highway blockades, kidnappings, and damage to infrastructure. Much of this violence is fueled by religiously motivated groups, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), as detailed in the security report.
In a recent incident, one person was killed and 16 others sustained injuries in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack in the Panjgur district of Balochistan. Local media indicate that the IED was concealed within a motorcycle, leading to serious injuries for three of the victims, as reported by the Pakistani daily Dawn. A vehicle belonging to the Frontier Corps, believed to be the target of the attack, narrowly escaped unharmed.
Additionally, on the same day, another IED blast targeting a cement factory vehicle in the Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa resulted in at least one death and nine injuries, according to local police.
The police confirmed that the explosion occurred on Begukhel Road near Nawarkhel Mor, identifying the deceased as Fareedullah and listing the injured as Mir Ahmad, Abdul Malik, Umar Khan, Masal Khan, and Syed Jan, as reported by Geo News. Rescue teams promptly arrived to transport the injured to the City Hospital in Lakki.
On Sunday, three police officers were killed when unidentified assailants on a motorcycle opened fire on traffic personnel in Sarai Naurang, Lakki Marwat, as per a police spokesperson, Geo News reported. The deceased have been identified as Traffic Police In-charge Naurang Jalal Khan, Constable Azizullah, and Constable Abdullah. Law enforcement has launched a search operation in the vicinity and initiated an investigation.
In another attack, a police officer was killed by unidentified gunmen in the Mandan area of Bannu. Officials reported that Constable Rashid Khan was targeted while en route to the police station from his residence.