Pakistan’s internal security challenges multiplied in 2025 amid a deteriorating relationship with the Taliban regime over Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) sanctuaries in Afghanistan and cross-border attacks. These tensions benefited the terrorist networks while creating difficulties for common people living across the Durand Line. At the same time, Baloch insurgents grew bolder in their operational tactics, showcasing enhanced capabilities and firepower. Though the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) suffered multiple setbacks both at the operational and propaganda fronts, it showed substantive signs of recovery toward the end of the year by exploiting ideological, ethnic and sectarian faultlines across the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.

According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal’s open-source database, Pakistan suffered as many as 1,709 terrorist incidents, which left around 3,967 people dead. Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, 2025 was the most violent year for Pakistan.

As Pakistan’s patience wore thin over the Taliban regime’s inaction and denial of the TTP’s presence on Afghan soil, Islamabad adopted an aggressive posture of bombing camps and hideouts of Pakistan-focused militant groups in Afghanistan. As a result, Afghanistan-Pakistan tensions rose to an all-time high, and their ties nosedived.

Though a tenuous ceasefire was reached due to Qatari, Turkish, and Saudi mediations, tensions have not subsided. The major Afghanistan-Pakistan border crossings remain closed for all kinds of trade........

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