According to the most recent assessment, proxy terror made a significant comeback in Pakistan in 2022, with December being the bloodiest month for Pakistan's security forces in more than ten years. This was partly as a result of the Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and Dash Afghanistan forming a new terror trio. Given that there were more than 500 attacks and counterattacks across last year, these three groups emerged as the country's biggest threat. Of these, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its recently combined districts that were formerly in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas saw 310 of these attacks.
That indicates that KP was the sole target of almost 62% of attacks. Balochistan, which suffered 110 attacks, rose to the unenviable position of second-most dangerous province in the nation, while 54 attacks and counterattacks took place in Sindh in 2022. Pakistan saw an average of 42 assaults each month in 2017, for a total of 506 attacks. This demonstrates that no day passed without a terrorist assault or counterattack occurring somewhere; on some days, there were multiple attacks around the nation. Pakistan experienced almost 1700 casualties, 975 of which were due to attacks; the remainder were citizens who suffered significant injuries.
With more than 1,000 casualties, of which 625 were fatalities and the remaining serious injuries, KP including the former triable area once again tops the list. In terrorist assaults and counterattacks in Balochistan, approximately 250 people died and over 200 were seriously injured. By the end of 2022, 66 people had died and 58 had been injured in Sindh. 28 people were killed, and 27 others were hurt in terrorist strikes and retaliatory attacks in Punjab. 285 members of the security forces died, including 42 only in December. Assaults were carried out in a variety of ways, primarily in the border regions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Improvised explosive devices, EDS, were employed in ambushes, suicide attacks, and raids on security stations.
Even though it is widely assumed that the three terrorist groups described above were responsible for the majority of these attacks, they only took credit for 57 of them. The most alarming feature of the figures may be the sharp spike in violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the number of attacks increased by 108%. The fact that 62% of all casualties were civilians, government employees, or security personnel as opposed to 38% rebels or militants is even more upsetting.
Imran Khan lost his position as Pakistan's prime minister in 2022, and Shuhbaz Sharif took over in April, causing political unrest in the nation. Imran Khan has now admitted that he planned to bring thousands of Taliban fighters to Pakistan, but the provinces refused to support the idea. The group called off the supposed "ceasefire" that probably never happened after months of rumors about talks with the TTP. Following that, there was an exceptional upsurge in terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's settled districts, former triable area, and Balochistan.
One-fourth of the total fatalities happened in Balochistan, a province with just 6% of the country's population, whereas the province with over two-thirds of all fatalities was Punjab. The penultimate month of the year saw over two dozen attacks happen quickly, one after another. In Pakistan's largest province by area, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Bloch Nationalist Army (BLA) assumed control. At least 14 significant attacks, largely against members of the security forces, occurred in Balochistan.
Another shocking aspect of the terror strikes last year was the first-ever suicide attack by a female BLA member at the University of Karachi in April, which resulted in the deaths of three Chinese teachers and a Pakistani driver. Additionally, it appears that the Bloch insurgency has expanded into Punjab, where in January 2022 they stormed the bustling Anarkali Bazaar, Gilgit Baltistan, which had no fatalities during the year, stands out as the safest when 2022 is compared to the previous year. Six persons lost their lives in GB attacks or counterattacks in 2021.
Major improvements were also seen in Punjab and Sindh, where there were 44 and 57 fewer fatalities, respectively. Compared to 2021, there were 226 more fatalities in KP and the former Fata combined. The report highlights alarming patterns of terrorist violence throughout the nation.
The Pakistani government spent more than $500 million to build the border fence, but the Taliban—both the Afghan and the TTP—have been drilling holes in it. It appears that the militants may pull the fence apart at different points, causing a hole to form. Terrorist assaults continued to primarily target security forces in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The rise in terror across the nation has been driven by the deadly trio of the BLA, Daesh Afghanistan (ISK), and the TTP. Over three million people live in the Greater Bannu area, which is divided into three districts (Bannu, Lakki Marwat, and North Waziristan), and is the site of the majority of terrorist attacks. These are the same places where militants have frequently attacked polio teams and their guards, delaying Pakistan's long-awaited and desired status as a polio-free nation. Additionally, Bajaur and Kurram are once more at risk from Afghani cross-border attacks. The Afghan provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktia, and Paktika directly target these districts.
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