ISLAMABAD: Pakistan suffered a staggering 29 suicide attacks this year, the highest since 2014, a leading Islamabad-based think tank said in its report on Sunday, raising alarm over the “disturbing” surge in militant attacks across the country.
Pakistan has been gripped with militant attacks since November 2022, when a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban and the state broke down.
Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which shares a lengthy border with neighboring Afghanistan, has been hit hardest by militancy. A suicide attack inside a police compound in Peshawar earlier this year killed over 80 people and injured scores of others.
“In 2023, the country experienced a disturbing surge in such [suicide] attacks, reaching the highest level since 2014,” a press release issued by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) said.
“A staggering 29 suicide attacks were reported, resulting in the tragic loss of 329 lives and leaving 582 individuals injured.”
The last time Pakistan reported more people killed from suicide attacks was in 2013, when 683 people lost their lives in 47 suicide bombings, the report said.
Compared to last year, Pakistan saw a “distressing” 93 percent increase in the number of suicide attacks, a 226 percent rise in resultant deaths, and an alarming 101 percent surge in the number of injured, the PICSS said.
“Furthermore, the share of suicide attacks in the total number of attacks escalated from 3.9 percent in 2022 to 4.7 percent in 2023, underscoring the severity of the situation,” the media release said.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suffered the most suicide attacks this year, 23, the report said, adding that 254 people were killed and 512 injured in the province. Thirteen of the 23 suicide attacks took place in the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) causing 85 deaths and 206 injuries.
Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province faced five suicide attacks, causing 67 deaths and 52 injuries, while the southern Sindh province witnessed one suicide attack that resulted in eight deaths and 18 injuries, the report said.
“The unsettling data further reveals that security forces were the primary targets of these attacks, with civilians constituting the second-largest victim category,” PICSS said.
It said 48 percent of the total deaths and 58 percent of the total injuries this year were inflicted upon security forces personnel.
The surge in militant attacks in Pakistan’s western frontiers has strained Islamabad’s ties with Kabul. Pakistan has called on Afghanistan to rein in militants that it alleges are using Afghan soil to launch attacks on Pakistan.
The Afghan Taliban deny Pakistan’s allegations and have repeatedly assured Islamabad it would not allow its soil to be used for attacks against any country.
Pakistan witnessed highest number of suicide attacks this year since 2014 — report
https://arab.news/bcxnj
Pakistan witnessed highest number of suicide attacks this year since 2014 — report
- Pakistan suffered 29 suicide attacks in 2023 resulting in 329 deaths, 582 injured, says Islamabad-based think tank
- Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province suffered 23 out of the 29 attacks this year, the report said
At Gulfood expo, minister urges Pakistani firms to boost exports to end reliance on foreign debt
- The Dubai expo brought together more than 8,500 exhibitors from 195 countries, showcasing over 1.5 million food and beverage products
- Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal says Islamabad is committed to promoting productivity, quality and innovation within the private sector
ISLAMABAD: Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday urged Pakistani companies participating in the Gulfood food and beverage exhibition in Dubai to expand exports and focus on value-added products, saying it was the only way for Pakistan to end reliance on foreign debt.
Gulfood’s 31st edition, being held in Dubai from Jan. 26 till Jan. 30, has brought together more than 8,500 exhibitors from 195 countries, showcasing over 1.5 million food and beverage products across 12 sectors, making it one of the most influential platforms for global agri-food trade.
Pakistan has made its largest-ever showing at the world’s leading food and beverage trade exhibition, with a total of 142 Pakistani companies participating in the 2026 edition, according to a statement from the Ministry of Information released this week.
On Thursday, Iqbal visited toured various stalls and interacted with exhibitors at Pakistan Pavilion at the exhibition and encouraging them to focus on enhancing exports and value-addition, Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID) said.
“If we are to permanently free ourselves from reliance on the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and foreign debt, there is only one way forward, promoting and expanding our exports,” he was quoted as saying. “I am particularly encouraged to see that Pakistani exporters are now focusing on value added products.”
Pakistan has struggled with boom-bust cycles for decades and secured 22 IMF bailouts since 1958. The country is currently navigating a long, tricky path to economic recovery under a $7 billion IMF program secured in Sept. 2024.
Pakistan has been increasingly using global trade exhibitions to promote value-added food exports, particularly to Gulf and Middle Eastern markets, which remain among the country’s largest destinations for rice, meat and processed food products.
Of the 142 Pakistani firms, 67 companies are participating under the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), while 75 companies are taking part independently, across four specialized pavilions covering rice, pulses and grains, world food, beverages, and meat and poultry. Notably, 30 rice exporters are participating under TDAP, underlining Pakistan’s position as one of the world’s leading rice suppliers.
Iqbal visited the Biryani Festival stall at Pakistan Pavilion and appreciated the initiative to showcase and promote Pakistani Basmati rice.
“We are committed to promoting productivity, quality, and innovation within the private sector so that ‘Made in Pakistan’ becomes a global symbol of quality, and Pakistani products are visible on every stall, in every shop, and on every shelf across international markets,” he said.
