ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has seen a noticeable decline in cross-border terrorist attacks and violence-related deaths after it closed its border with Afghanistan on October 11, according to new data. Figures are extracted from the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), released as part of its annual Security Report 2025, dawn news reported.
The report show that terrorist attacks fell by nearly 17 per cent in December, following a 9 per cent decline in November. Fatalities linked to terrorist violence also dropped in the last quarter of 2025, with civilian deaths falling by about 4 per cent and deaths of security personnel by 19 per cent in November and December.
Despite this recent improvement, the report describes 2025 as Pakistan’s most violent year in a decade. Overall violence increased by nearly 34 per cent compared to 2024. The country has faced rising violence for five straight years since 2021, a period that coincides with the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan.
Comparing 2024 and 2025, total fatalities rose from 2,555 to 3,417 — an increase of 862 deaths.Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the worst-affected province, where fatalities jumped from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025, accounting for more than 80 per cent of the national increase.
Balochistan also saw higher violence, with deaths rising from 787 to 956.Most of the violence remained concentrated in KP and Balochistan, which together accounted for over 96 per cent of all fatalities in 2025. In contrast, Punjab and Sindh reported relatively few incidents, while Gilgit-Baltistan remained the least affected region despite a slight increase in deaths.
Separately, IG Balochistan in a press talk also announced a decline in terrorism in the province, linking it to joint operations of security forces.