Pakistan has been ranked number one in the Global Terrorism Index for the first time, reflecting a significant rise in violence and security challenges across the country. According to the Global Terrorism Index 2026, released by the Institute for Economics and Peace, terrorism-related deaths in Pakistan increased by six per cent last year. The report shows that the number of deaths has now reached its highest point since 2013, highlighting a worsening security situation.

The report provides a detailed analysis of terrorism trends across 163 countries and examines the scale and impact of attacks worldwide. In Pakistan’s case, the findings show a sharp rise in both fatalities and incidents. In 2025 alone, the country recorded 1,139 deaths linked to terrorism along with 1,045 separate incidents. These figures clearly show that violence has continued to grow, making the security situation more serious than in recent years.

The report also points out that Pakistan’s strained relations with neighbouring countries, especially Afghanistan, have played a role in increasing instability. Along with this, the rise in violence within the country itself has created major security risks. The year 2025 marked the sixth year in a row in which terrorism-related deaths increased in Pakistan, showing that the situation has been steadily getting worse over time rather than improving.

One of the most worrying developments highlighted in the report is the sharp increase in hostage-taking incidents. The number of people taken hostage rose dramatically from 101 in 2024 to 655 in 2025. This sudden rise was mainly linked to the attack on the Jaffar Express, where 442 individuals were reportedly taken hostage. This single incident played a major role in pushing up the overall numbers and drew attention to the growing threat of large-scale attacks.

The report further explains that the security situation is especially serious in certain regions of the country. Provinces such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan accounted for the majority of attacks and deaths last year. Together, these two regions were responsible for more than 74 per cent of all terrorist incidents and about 67 per cent of the total deaths in 2025. This shows that the problem is not spread evenly across the country but is concentrated in areas already facing security challenges.

On the global level, Pakistan now ranks among a small group of countries where terrorism has had the most severe impact. According to the report, Pakistan is now placed alongside Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, and the Democratic Republic of Congo as one of the five countries that together account for nearly 70 per cent of all terrorism-related deaths in the world.

This latest ranking follows Pakistan’s second-place position in the Global Terrorism Index in 2025, which means the country has now moved further up the list in a negative way. The data shows a continuing and worrying decline in stability, with both the number of attacks and the number of deaths rising year after year. Overall, the report presents a clear picture of a country facing serious security challenges, with violence increasing rather than decreasing and the impact of terrorism continuing to grow.