Anti-terrorism in Karachi. Photo: PPI (file)
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan has, for the first time, topped the global terrorism index, as the country has witnessed a continued surge in terrorist violence, with the number of terrorism-related deaths rising to 1,139 in 2025, an increase of 6% from the previous year.
The Global Terrorism Index 2026, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), ranks 163 countries, representing 99.7% of the world’s population, based on the impact of terrorism, measured through incidents, deaths, injuries and hostage taking.
The latest report places Pakistan at the highest level of impact, highlighting the deterioration of the security environment driven by increased terrorist activities and regional instability.
According to the report, Pakistan’s “strained” ties with neighboring countries, particularly Afghanistan, coupled with escalating violence by the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), have created “significant security” risks.
“Deaths due to terrorism in Pakistan are now at their highest level since 2013, with the country recording 1,139 terrorism deaths and 1,045 incidents in 2025,” the report said.
The findings identify the TTP as the “deadliest” terrorist group in Pakistan and the third largest in the world.
“TTP attacks account for more than 67 percent of total attacks in Pakistan since 2009, and are responsible for five times as many attacks in Pakistan as the second most active group, the BLA,” the report said.
The group also stood out globally as the only one among the four deadliest organizations – Islamic State (IS), Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), TTP and al-Shabaab – to record an increase in activities over the past year.
