Pakistan’s Unenviable Shameful ‘Achievement’ on Global Terrorism Index

Pakistan has achieved another unenviable ‘achievement’. According to the Global Terrorism Index 2025, Pakistan has come second in the list of countries affected by terrorism, with only Burkina Faso above it and Syria below it.

In addition, according to the list, the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is waging a bloody campaign against the state and people of Pakistan, is among the 4 most dangerous terrorist organizations in the world.

Before starting the debate that such a ranking will damage Pakistan’s positive image around the world, the data revealed in this study needs to be interpreted with caution because these figures do not give good indications.

For example, there were 517 terrorist attacks in 2023, but last year there were 1,099 attacks, of which the TTP was responsible for more than half of the attacks. The index also confirms that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan are the most affected parts of the country, accounting for 96% of terrorist attacks.

Although the TTP carried out the most terrorist attacks, it was the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) that was involved in the Quetta railway station suicide attack, which resulted in the highest number of deaths in any single attack in 2024.

The disturbing situation that the report points to reminds us of the difficult period that Pakistan faced almost 20 years ago when it was dealing with a similar terrorist threat led by elements harmful to them.

Unfortunately, the TTP and other extremist groups have been emboldened to intensify their operations in Pakistan after the Taliban regime came to power in Afghanistan. The index acknowledges that there is no denying the fact that militants enjoy safe havens in Afghanistan. For example, the Pakistan Army has said that Afghan nationals were involved in the recent attack on Bannu Cantt.

However, what is making Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts difficult is the fact that Pakistan’s relations with the Afghan Taliban are still strained. For example, there has been a clash between Pakistani and Afghan forces over the Torkham border dispute for several days. It is undoubtedly difficult, but it is necessary to improve relations with the Afghan Taliban to deal with the threat of TTP.

The Global Terrorism Index report has suggested that Pakistan take ‘military, political and socio-economic measures’ to deal with the threat of militancy. Yet, political circles are so busy bickering among themselves that they do not realize that our country is facing a major terrorism crisis, while other powerful institutions seem more concerned about ‘digital terrorism’ and other such ‘threats’.

If we do not wake up in time to confront the current threat of terrorism, dreams of economic recovery and national unity may be shattered. It is essential to develop an effective counterterrorism strategy with the help of civil and military agencies, lawmakers, and independent experts to focus on dynamic strategies and long-term goals.

Cooperation with international partners will also be key in this regard, as demonstrated by the successful capture of the ISIS terrorist involved in the Kabul airport attack.