With an apparent failure of counter insurgency operation Azm-i-Istehkam (“Commitment for Stability”), Pakistan’s security system deteriorates as China tries to prop up the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) by encouraging Pakistan’s war on terror.
The year 2024 proved to be the deadliest for Pakistan’s civil and military security forces in a decade, with at least 685 fatalities and 444 terror attacks. According to the Centre for Security and Strategic Studies (CRSS) Annual Security Report 2024, Pakistan experienced 2,546 violence-linked fatalities and 2,267 injuries among civilians, security personnel, and outlaws. This count of casualties resulted from 1,166 terror attacks and counter-terror operations, marking a grim year for the country’s security landscape. Compared to 2023, these figures represent an over 66 percent increase in violence (2,546 versus 1,533 fatalities), over 55 percent more injuries (2,267 versus 1,462), and around 49 percent more incidents (1,166 versus 784). This amounts to an average of nearly seven lives lost daily, with November standing out as the deadliest month compared to all other months of 2024. This data indicates that Pakistan’s powerful military establishment failed to enhance the country’s security situation. More importantly, terror incidents rose significantly after the Pakistani government announced a new military operation, Azm-i-Istehkam (Resolve for Stability), in June of last year.
The CRSS report indicates that violence took the heaviest toll on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), which led in human losses with 1,616 fatalities, followed by Balochistan with 782 deaths. Together, they accounted for 94 percent of all fatalities and 89 percent of all incidents nationwide. For years, these border provinces, home to a majority of ethnic Baloch and Pashtun populations, have endured the brunt of terrorism and state violence under the guise of counterterrorism operations. Given Pakistan’s deteriorating relations with Afghanistan and Iran, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are likely to continue facing instability and increased involvement from the country’s security agencies. The newly merged border districts, including Kurram, North Waziristan, and Khyber in KP, as well as Quetta, Kech, Kalat, and Musakhail in Balochistan, recorded the highest fatalities in terror attacks.
While the security situation has significantly worsened in KP since foreign troops withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021, the increasing Chinese presence and government-backed human rights violations are major factors behind the rise in insurgent attacks in Balochistan. According to the report, historical data on militancy and insurgency-related fatalities, like earlier trends in overall fatalities, shows a sharp increase since 2021. Fatalities from terror attacks, which had been declining for seven consecutive years (from 2014 to 2020) at an average yearly rate of about 29 percent, surged by an average of 38 percent each year from 2021 through the end of 2024. The year 2021 is crucial, as the Taliban returned to power after 20 years, and Pakistan believed that its “strategic depth” policy in Afghanistan had succeeded.However, the data indicates that the security situation began to worsen as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliated groups returned to the tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Additionally, peace negotiations between the TTP and the Pakistani government failed miserably despite the intervention of the Afghan Taliban. Amidst these developments, the political situation in Pakistan deteriorated following Imran Khan’s controversial removal from power in April 2022. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) squarely blamed the military establishment for his ousting and initiated an anti-military movement across the country. This movement has thus far attracted international attention and significantly tarnished the Pakistan army’s reputation. Furthermore, the worsening economic situation and Islamabad’s increasing dependence on Chinese loans to avoid default have also empowered certain militant groups in Pakistan.
Consequently, the internal political turmoil, the implications of the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan, and the growing Chinese presence have given new life to militancy in Pakistan. Notably, Beijing pressured Islamabad to launch a new military operation in Pakistan to protect Chinese businesses and citizens involved in China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. As a result, the Pakistan military was compelled to announce Operation Azm-i-Istehkam in June of last year. Reports indicate that the Pakistani government was hesitant to initiate a new military campaign due to the worsening economic conditions and heightened risk of international scrutiny concerning incidents of human rights violations against ethnic minorities.
On the other hand, the Pakistan Army aimed to leverage the new counterterrorism campaign to divert the public’s attention from urgent economic and political issues while enhancing its image. Nevertheless, terror-related violence has only escalated in Pakistan since June of last year, and there are no clear signs of improvement in the upcoming months.
In addition to growing militancy, the CRSS report also highlights the growing scourge of sectarian violence in the country. In 2024, the sectarian violence in Pakistan claimed 182 lives and left 234 people injured. Most of the victims wereShias, with 79 killed and 35 wounded, followed by Sunnis, who suffered 21 fatalities and 72 injuries. Incidents involving both Shia and Sunni communities resulted in 79 deaths and 117 injuries. Additionally, violence claimed the lives of two Ahmadis and one Christian. Data on sectarian violence reveals a deeply troubling trend, where between 2015 and 2020, sectarian violence claimed 467 lives. Alarmingly, this figure rose to 487 in the subsequent four years (2021-2024), underscoring the escalating nature of this threat and its growing impact on Pakistan’s security landscape.
Notably, hardline Sunni Islam and violent incidents against religious minorities in Pakistan have surged during General Syed Asim Munir’s tenure as Chief of Army Staff, as he is viewed as a religious hardliner. The Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), in its “Pakistan Security Report 2024,” also presents a bleak picture of rising militant and sectarian violence in the country and highlights the urgent need for comprehensive counterterrorism strategies. The report draws parallels between the current security situation and that preceding the 2014 Peshawar Army Public School attack. Pakistan faces a massive security crisis if these challenges are not addressed promptly. The military establishment bears full responsibility, having thus far failed to uphold its duties and protect the lives of innocent Pakistanis, who continue to suffer the repercussions of militancy and sectarian violence. (European Times)
