Washington, April 11: A recent report indicates a significant decline in terrorism-related deaths worldwide, with a 28% reduction and a 22% drop in attacks. However, Pakistan stands out as an exception to this trend. The country has topped the Global Terrorism Index for 2026, with 1,139 fatalities from terrorist incidents reported last year.
In an article for the online magazine ‘American Thinker,’ Moroccan researcher and journalist Fatima Al Hashimi highlighted that violence has become increasingly normalized in Pakistan, reflecting the deteriorating security situation. This marks the sixth consecutive year of rising terrorism in the country.
Al Hashimi noted that this increase represents a serious and ongoing trend. “Terrorism-related deaths in Pakistan have risen each year for the past six years, with the recent surge marking the largest annual increase in a decade,” she stated.
According to the report, the number of attacks surged from 517 in 2023 to 1,099 in 2024. Although there was a slight decrease in 2025, the figures remain historically high.
Al Hashimi emphasized that statistics on incidents, deaths, injuries, and hostages indicate that extremist violence in Pakistan is not only persistent but is evolving in ways that challenge the state’s capacity to respond.
The report identifies Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan as major centers of violence, accounting for over 74% of attacks and 67% of deaths in 2025. These regions have long been neglected in terms of governance and development, suffering the most from internal conflicts.
Criticism of Pakistan’s counter-terrorism strategy is also addressed in the report, which describes it as “primarily limited to military actions, raids, and retaliatory strikes,” while non-military measures against extremism remain weak or nearly nonexistent.
Al Hashimi pointed out a significant weakness: the lack of a reliable and verified terrorism database, raising questions about transparency on an international level.
She stressed that for sustainable peace, Pakistan must move beyond a force-based strategy to address ideological extremism, cross-border bases, political instability, and governance-related issues.
The report suggests that police and judicial reforms, improved coordination among agencies, and particularly strengthening regional diplomacy with Afghanistan are essential for progress.
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