Pakistan witnessed an unprecedented escalation of violence in 2025, recording the highest number of combat-related deaths in more than ten years, according to a comprehensive report by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). The study, released in early January, reveals a dramatic 74 per cent increase in fatalities compared with 2024, underscoring a deepening security crisis that has rattled the nation and its neighbours.
The PICSS report shows that at least 3,413 people lost their lives in violent incidents across the country last year, a sharp rise from the 1,950 deaths documented in 2024. Of those killed, 2,138 were militants, a figure reflecting a 124 per cent jump over the preceding year. The surge in militant deaths is attributed primarily to intensified counterterrorism operations targeting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a homegrown insurgent group distinct from the Afghan Taliban but which has grown more audacious and capable in recent years.
Abdullah Khan, managing director of PICSS, told reporters that the mounting death toll was also fuelled by a rise in suicide bombings and the expanded use of sophisticated weaponry. Many of these arms were reportedly sourced from U.S. military equipment left behind after the withdrawal of American forces from neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021, which has since found its way into the hands of Pakistani militant factions.
Security personnel deaths surged significantly as well, with 667 members of the country’s armed forces and police killed in the line of duty in 2025 — a 26 per cent increase over the previous year and the highest annual figure since 2011. Civilian fatalities also reached distressing levels, with 580 non-combatants killed, marking the deadliest toll for civilians since at least 2015. In addition, the report noted that 28 members of pro-government peace committees were among those killed.
The report detailed that at least 1,066 militant attacks were recorded nationwide in 2025, and the number of suicide attacks rose by 53 per cent, with 26 such incidents documented. PICSS also highlighted that around 500 militants were arrested during intelligence-based operations last year, a significant rise from 272 in 2024, signaling both a more active insurgent presence and heightened counterterrorism efforts by state forces.
The spike in violence has also strained Pakistan’s regional relations, particularly with Afghanistan. Border tensions escalated sharply in October after a series of clashes left dozens dead and hundreds wounded, prompting Islamabad to accuse Kabul of permitting cross-border insurgent movements — allegations that Afghanistan’s Taliban government has consistently denied. In response to the unrest, all border crossings between the two nations were closed, stalling bilateral trade and complicating humanitarian aid flows. While a Qatar-mediated ceasefire has largely held since late 2025, diplomatic efforts to achieve a long-term agreement have so far been unsuccessful.
Military officials report that the Pakistan armed forces carried out over 67,000 intelligence-based operations during the year, resulting in the deaths of 1,873 militants, including foreign nationals, as well as hundreds of arrests. Despite these efforts, the resilience of militant networks and the complexity of the security environment have made peace elusive.
The PICSS report paints a stark picture of a country grappling with entrenched insurgency, rising civilian casualties, and fragile regional ties, making 2025 the deadliest year for Pakistan in recent memory and highlighting the formidable challenges that lie ahead for policymakers and security forces alike.
