According to the latest annual Global Terrorism Index report by the Institute for Economics and Peace, Pakistan has overtaken Afghanistan as the country with the most terrorist attacks and deaths in South Asia. The report reveals that Pakistan recorded a 120 per cent increase in terror-related deaths, with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) being the fastest-growing terror group responsible for 36 per cent of terror-related deaths in the country.
The BLA has become the deadliest terror group in Pakistan, overtaking the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has been waging terrorist attacks against Pakistani security forces to seek an Islamic Sharia-compliant state like the Taliban in Afghanistan. The report also highlights that 55 per cent of all terror-related victims in Pakistan were military personnel.
The increase in terror activities by the TTP and the Islamic State Khorasan has driven the rise in nationwide deaths, primarily concentrated along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, with 63 per cent of attacks and 74 per cent of deaths in the area. The BLA’s lethality rate has increased to its highest level, with attacks killing 7.7 people per attack in 2022, compared to 1.5 per attack the previous year.
Pakistan is the country with most terrorist attacks. Pakistan has moved up four places to sixth position on the Global Terrorism Index due to the sharp surge in fatalities. The report highlights that the Islamic State Khorasan’s deadliest attack in Pakistan in 2022 occurred in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where a suicide bombing killed at least 56 people in an attack on a Shia Mosque during Friday prayers.
Pakistan, United States and UK have designated both the BLA and TTP as terror organisations. The BLA is claiming to be fighting for the independence of the Balochistan province bordering Afghanistan and Iran. However, the report highlights that their attacks have primarily targeted military personnel, with 95 per cent of the 233 deaths linked to the BLA in 2022 being of military personnel.
In conclusion, Pakistan’s surge in terrorist attacks and deaths is a significant concern, particularly with the increase in the BLA’s lethality rate and the rise of the Islamic State Khorasan’s attacks. The government of Pakistan must take necessary steps to counter these terror groups and ensure the safety and security of its citizens.
