Fresh data from the South Asia Terrorism Portal indicates that in 2025, at least 1,070 violent incidents ranging from bomb explosions to armed clashes occurred across Pakistan.
Although the South Asia Terrorism Portal has not released data breaking down responsibility by group, Pakistani officials and analysts repeatedly point to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as the main driver of the surge in violence.
Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of providing shelter and support to the TTP, a charge the Taliban deny. The Afghan group has repeatedly pledged that it will not allow Afghan territory to be used against other countries and that it will take action against violators.
Earlier in November, the Taliban said that the TTP formed in response to Pakistan’s military support for U.S. operations and drone strikes in the country’s tribal regions.
Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia attempted to mediate between Islamabad and the Taliban, but these efforts failed. Relations deteriorated steadily, culminating in a broader conflict in October, during which Pakistan conducted air and ground strikes in several Afghan provinces, including Kabul.
Rashid Ahmed Khan, an international relations expert based in Lahore, told Bloomberg: “The Afghan Taliban have explicitly stated that they do not consider the TTP a terrorist organization. I do not foresee a solution to this very complex issue in the near future.”
