Number of Terrorism Related Incidents in Pakistan from 2000 to 2005

The early 2000s marked the beginning of Pakistan’s involvement in the global War on Terror following the September 11 attacks, with incident numbers rising sharply from 150 in 2000 to 336 in 2001. This period represents Pakistan’s initial confrontation with militant networks as it aligned with international counterterrorism efforts. The subsequent years showed a fluctuating pattern, with a temporary decline to 249 incidents in 2003 before beginning a troubling upward trajectory. The most alarming escalation occurred between 2006 and 2013, when terrorism-related incidents increased dramatically from 1,043 to a peak of 3,923 in 2013. This period coincides with the height of insurgency in Pakistan’s tribal areas, military operations in Swat Valley, and widespread sectarian violence across the country. The seven-year crisis period represents the most violent chapter in Pakistan’s struggle against extremism, with annual incident counts frequently exceeding 2,000.

Following the 2014 Peshawar school attack, which claimed the lives of 149 people (including 132 schoolchildren), Pakistan implemented a comprehensive National Action Plan against terrorism. The data reflects the effectiveness of these measures, with incidents declining substantially from 2,779 in 2014 to 284 by 2019—a nearly 90% reduction. This remarkable decrease demonstrates the impact of coordinated military operations, improved intelligence capabilities, and enhanced border security measures. However, the data reveals a concerning reversal of this positive trend beginning in 2020, with incidents steadily increasing from 319 to 1,303 by 2024. This resurgence coincides with the Taliban’s return to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021 and subsequent regional destabilization. The dramatic rise suggests a significant deterioration in Pakistan’s security environment despite earlier gains.

The partial data for 2025 (through March 25) already shows 382 incidents, which, if this quarterly rate continues, could potentially surpass the troubling levels seen in 2024. This indicates that Pakistan may be entering another challenging phase in its counterterrorism efforts, possibly requiring renewed strategies and international cooperation to address emerging threats. This quarter-century of data underscores the cyclical nature of terrorism in Pakistan and highlights how closely the country’s security is tied to regional stability, particularly developments in Afghanistan. It also demonstrates both the possibility of successfully reducing terrorist violence through coordinated national policies and the fragility of such gains when regional dynamics shift unfavorably.