ISLAMABAD: Pakistan saw a decline in terrorist attacks in late 2025 after sealing its border with Afghanistan, according to a new security report, though overall violence for the year remained high.
Data compiled by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) shows that terrorist attacks fell by nearly 17 per cent in December, following a 9 per cent decline in November. Fatalities linked to terrorist violence among civilians and security personnel also dropped in the last quarter of 2025, decreasing by around 4 per cent in November and 19 per cent in December.
Despite these recent improvements, the CRSS Annual Security Report 2025 notes that the year remained Pakistan’s most violent in a decade, with overall violence rising by about 34 per cent compared to 2024. A total of 3,417 fatalities were recorded nationwide in 2025, up from 2,555 the previous year.
The report highlights that violence has been on an upward trajectory for five consecutive years, coinciding with the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained the worst-affected province, accounting for more than two-thirds of all violence-related deaths, followed by Balochistan. Together, the two provinces made up over 96 per cent of total fatalities recorded in 2025.
In contrast, Punjab and Sindh experienced relatively low levels of violence, while Gilgit-Baltistan remained the least affected region despite a small increase in fatalities.
Security analysts say the recent decline following the border closure suggests that tighter border controls can play a key role in curbing cross-border militancy and improving internal security.
