DID Press: Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) reports that Pakistan has, for the first time, become the country most affected by terrorism. Last year, Pakistan recorded the highest number of fatalities and terrorist incidents, marking its security situation as the worst since 2013.
The IEP attributes the rise in terrorist activity partly to the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. While ISIS remains the deadliest terrorist organization globally, its operational reach has dropped from 22 to 15 countries. Other highly dangerous groups include Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen, and Al-Shabaab.
According to the Global Terrorism Index, nearly 70% of terrorism-related deaths occurred in Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2025, Pakistan recorded 1,139 deaths across 1,045 terrorist incidents, making it the only country to see its situation worsen compared to the previous year. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces reported the highest number of attacks.
Notably, Afghanistan did not appear among the ten most terrorism-affected countries for the first time since the index began. However, the IEP cautions that a drop in attacks does not necessarily indicate peace, as the index does not account for state-perpetrated violence.
Rising attacks in Pakistan have strained relations with the Afghan Taliban. Pakistani officials claim that instability stems from Afghan soil, accusing the Taliban of supporting Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and separatist Baloch groups—allegations the Afghan Taliban deny.