ISLAMABAD, JUN 30 /DNA/ – With at least 615 fatalities and 388 injuries – among civilians, security
personnel, and outlaws – in about 273 incidents of violence, including terror attacks and counterterror operations, Pakistan witnessed a nearly 32% decline in overall violence, and several other
promising trends in its security landscape for the second quarter of 2025, according to the Center
for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). These include:
i) Fatalities dropping from 900 in Q1 to 615 in Q2, 2025, a metric behind the reported 32%
reduction in violence.
ii) The fatalities suffered by security personnel and civilians combined (282) were still less than
the total number of outlaws’ fatalities recorded (333) – amounting to over 15% less comparative
losses among civilians and security officials,
iii) Around 32% and 40% less violence recorded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan
provinces, respectively, compared to Q1. Violence-linked fatalities dropped from 567 to 389 in KP,
and from 317 to 190 in Balochistan, indicating a possible strategic breakthrough on the back of a
pro-active hunt-neutralise-capture campaign.
While the terrorism and insurgency-induced violence receded in these conflict-hit provinces, both
regions continued to bear the brunt of violence, accounting for over 94% of the total fatalities
and 93% incidents of violence recorded in this quarter.
The TTP continued to lead the violence in KP, and Balochistan remained a parallel epicenter of
unrest, marked by a deadly mix of separatist militancy and targeted violence, particularly against
state forces.
The spread of militancy into previously calmer areas is also concerning. Pakistan’s largest province
of Punjab, on the other hand, witnessed an alarming trend, recording a surge in fatalities by 162%,
though the number of fatalities was low; from 8 in Q1 to 21 in Q2, 2025. Notably, Azad Jammu &
Kashmir, which reported zero fatalities in Q1, recorded 6 deaths in Q2. Islamabad and Sindh
remained largely unaffected with minimal fluctuations.
While the intensity of violence has eased in traditional hotspots, its spread into new or lessprepared regions will require continued attention and policy adjustments.
Analysis of the overall fatalities and casualties recorded in Q2, 2025 by the victims of violence
reveals some interesting security trends; with both alarming and encouraging insights.
The outlaws suffered the majority, over 54% (333) of all fatalities in this quarter, followed by
civilians with 25% (153), and security and government officials with 21% (129).
The outlaws may have suffered the majority of fatalities recorded in this quarter; however, the
civilians were the most targeted group compared to security officials and outlaws, in terms of the
number of attacks and injuries suffered. They were involved in the majority of incidents and
injuries of violence recorded in this quarter.
In this regard, the civilians suffered 107 terror attacks, compared to security officials suffering 91
and outlaws targeted in 75 security operations. Moreover, they suffered 249 injuries compared
to security officials suffering 120 injuries and outlaws with only 19.
The high number of attacks and injuries suffered by civilians indicates terrorists’ aim to instill fear
and disruption rather than carry out precision strikes.
Moreover, with the outlaws suffering the least number of injuries, being involved in the least
number of incidents (which in their case were security forces operations), and still accounting for
the majority of fatalities compared to civilians and security officials indicates a high degree of
lethal precision in state-led counter-terrorism operations.
And as another promising trend like stated earlier, even the combined fatalities of security
personnel and civilians (282) were less than the total outlaws’ fatalities recorded (333).
Meanwhile, deaths among outlawed – militants and insurgents – elements fluctuated around 35%
during 2021 to 2024 but surged to around 55 by Q2, 2025, indicating intensified and successful
counter-terrorism campaigns.
