A sharp rise in terror attacks and civilian casualties has pushed Pakistan to second position in the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2025. The latest report by the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) ranks 163 countries, covering 99.7% of the world’s population. The GTI assesses factors such as terrorist incidents, casualties, injuries, hostage situations, and their overall impact. According to the report, terrorism-related deaths in Pakistan have been steadily increasing over the past five years. The country recorded its highest year-on-year rise in a decade, with terror attacks surging by 45% in 2024 alone.

"This trend is mirrored by a rise in the number of terror attacks, which more than doubled from 517 in 2023 to 1,099 in 2024. This is the first year that the attacks have exceeded 1,000 since the inception of the index," as per the report.

The banned terrorist group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has maintained its notorious status as the country's deadliest and fastest-growing organisation for the second year in a row, with a staggering 90% surge in fatalities attributed to the outfit. In 2024, the TTP launched a staggering 482 attacks across Pakistan, claiming 585 lives. This represents a devastating 91% increase in fatalities compared to the previous year, which saw 293 deaths.

"TTP was responsible for 52 per cent of deaths in Pakistan in 2024. Pakistan has experienced a significant rise in terrorism since the Taliban's rise to power in Afghanistan. Terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan have intensified their attacks, particularly along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The province of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) remain the most heavily affected regions, with these western border areas accounting for over 96 per cent of terrorist attacks and deaths in Pakistan during 2024," the report described.

GTI 2025 ranked Burkina Faso as the most terrorism-affected country, followed by Pakistan, Mali, Syria, and Niger. Also included in the top 10 were Nigeria, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Cameroon​.