EASO
Pakistan
Security Situation

Country of Origin Information Report
October 2020

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ISBN: 978-92-9485-683-8

doi: 10.2847/737033

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Acknowledgements
EASO acknowledges as the drafter of this report:
Belgium, Centre for Documentation and Research (Cedoca) in the Office of the Commissioner
General for Refugees and Stateless Person

The following departments and organisations have reviewed the report:
Austria, Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum, Country of Origin Information
Department
Poland, Country of Origin Information Unit, Department for Refugee Procedures, Office for
Foreigners
ACCORD – Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

It must be noted that the review carried out by the mentioned departments, experts or organisations
contributes to the overall quality of the report, but does not necessarily imply their formal
endorsement of the final report, which is the full responsibility of EASO.

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Contents
Acknowledgements................................................................................................................................. 3Contents .................................................................................................................................................. 4
Disclaimer................................................................................................................................................ 6
Glossary and Abbreviations .................................................................................................................... 7
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 13
Methodology .................................................................................................................................... 13
Defining the terms of reference ................................................................................................... 13
Quality control.............................................................................................................................. 13
Sources ............................................................................................................................................. 13
Structure and use of the report ........................................................................................................ 17
Map ....................................................................................................................................................... 18
1. General description of the security situation in Pakistan ................................................................. 19
1.1 Overview of recent conflicts in Pakistan .................................................................................... 19
1.1.1 Background of militancy ...................................................................................................... 19
1.1.2 Ethnic and sectarian violence.............................................................................................. 21
1.1.3 Political developments ........................................................................................................ 21
1.1.4 International context........................................................................................................... 23
1.2 Actors in the conflict ................................................................................................................... 25
1.2.1 State forces.......................................................................................................................... 25
1.2.2 Armed groups ...................................................................................................................... 27
1.3 Recent security trends and armed confrontations..................................................................... 42
1.3.1 Security incidents ................................................................................................................ 42
1.3.2 Nature of security incidents ................................................................................................ 44
1.3.3 Impact of COVID-19 on the security situation .................................................................... 53
1.4 Impact of the violence on the civilian population ...................................................................... 53
1.4.1 Figures on casualties in 2019 .............................................................................................. 54
1.4.2 Figures on casualties 1 January 2020 - 31 July 2020 ........................................................... 55
1.4.3 Targets of attacks ................................................................................................................ 56
1.4.4 Effects of violent incidents on society in Pakistan .............................................................. 58
1.4.5 Internally Displaced Persons and refugees ......................................................................... 60
1.5 State ability to secure law and order.......................................................................................... 61
1.5.1 Security forces ..................................................................................................................... 624

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

1.5.2 Judiciary and legal system ................................................................................................... 65
1.5.3 Anti-Terrorism Acts and military courts .............................................................................. 65
1.5.4 Detention and death penalty .............................................................................................. 67
2. Security situation per region ............................................................................................................. 68
2.1 Geographical overview of the violence ...................................................................................... 68
2.1.1 Trends in regional violence ................................................................................................. 68
2.1.2 Regional comparison of violence-related casualties ........................................................... 70
2.2 Security trends per geographic subdivision................................................................................ 72
2.2.1 Punjab.................................................................................................................................. 72
2.2.2 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (including former FATA) ................................................................... 74
2.2.3 Balochistan .......................................................................................................................... 86
2.2.4 Sindh .................................................................................................................................... 90
2.2.5 Islamabad Capital Territory ................................................................................................. 92
2.2.6 Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan ....................................................................................... 94
Annex 1: Bibliography ........................................................................................................................... 98
Annex 2: Terms of Reference .............................................................................................................. 136
Annex 3: Query list .............................................................................................................................. 137

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Disclaimer
This report was written according to the EASO COI Report Methodology (2019)1. The report is basedon carefully selected sources of information. All sources used are referenced.
The information contained in this report has been researched, evaluated and analysed with utmost
care. However, this document does not claim to be exhaustive. If a particular event, person ororganisation is not mentioned in the report, this does not mean that the event has not taken place orthat the person or organisation does not exist.
Furthermore, this report is not conclusive as to the determination or merit of any particularapplication for international protection. Terminology used should not be regarded as indicative of aparticular legal position.
‘Refugee’, ‘risk’ and similar terminology are used as generic terminology and not in the legal sense as
applied in the EU Asylum Acquis, the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the
Status of Refugees.
Neither EASO nor any person acting on its behalf may be held responsible for the use which may bemade of the information contained in this report.
The drafting of this report was finalised on 14 August 2020. Some additional information was added
during the finalisation of this report in response to feedback received during the quality control
process, until 18 September 2020. More information on the reference period for this report can befound in the methodology section of the Introduction.

1 EASO, EASO Country of Origin Information (COI) Report Methodology, June 2019, url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Glossary and Abbreviations
ACLED

Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project

AI

Amnesty International

AJK/AK

Azad Jammu and Kashmir/ Azad Kashmir

ANP

Awami National Party

AQIS

Al-Qaeda on the Indian Peninsula

AOAVAction on Armed Violence

BRP

Baloch Republican Party

BLA

Balochistan Liberation Army

BLF

Baloch Liberation Front

BRA

Baloch Republican Army

BRAS

Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar

CIED

Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances

COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019

CPEC

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

CRPF

Central Reserve Police Force (India)

CRSS

Centre for Research and Security Studies

CTD

Counterterrorism Department

CSCR

Centre for Strategic and Contemporary Research

Daesh

See Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP)

Deobandi

A conservative Sunni religious movement2

EFSAS

European Foundation of South Asian Studies

FATA

Federally Administered Tribal Areas

FC

Frontier Corps

FIDH

International Federation for Human Rights

FRC

FATA Research Center

GB

Gilgit-Baltistan

Haqqani network

Armed insurgent movement led by Sirajuddin Haqqani. This movement
is affiliated with the Taliban. Their headquarters are based in North
Waziristan tribal district and in south-east Afghanistan, in areas of the
Pashtun tribe of the Zadran.3

2 Nelson, M., EASO, EASO COI Meeting Report: Pakistan; 16-17 October 2017, Rome, February 2018, url, pp. 9, 27
3 Stanford University, Mapping Militant Organizations. “Haqqani Network.”, last updated: July 2018, url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

HazaraEthnic (primarily) Shia Muslim minority group living predominantly incentral Afghanistan, western and northern Pakistan and parts of Iran4

HBC

Higher Border Commission

HM

Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, militant group operating in Azad Jammu andKashmir, led by Syed Salahuddin5

HuA

Hizbul Ahrar, a breakaway faction of the JuA6

HRCP

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

HRW

Human Rights Watch

IBOIntelligence-Based Operation

ICJ

International Commission of Jurists

ICT

Islamabad Capital Territory

IDMC

Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre

IDP

Internally Displaced Person: person or groups of persons who have been
forced or obliged to flee or leave their homes or places of habitualresidence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects ofarmed conflict, situations of generalised violence, violations of humanrights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed
an internationally recognised state border7

IJU

Islamic Jihad Union

IED

Improvised Explosive Device

IMU

Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan: an armed insurgent movement
operating in Afghanistan and other countries with fighters originallyfrom Uzbekistan8

IOM

International Organization for Migration

IPRI

Islamabad Policy Research Institute

IPCS

Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies

ISKP

Islamic State Khorasan Province, also called ISIS, ISIL, IS or Daesh

ISPP

Islamic State Pakistan Province

ISIInter-Services Intelligence, one of the intelligence agencies of Pakistan,
generally considered to be one of the most powerful Pakistani state
institutions

ISPR

Inter-Services Public Relations, media wing of the Pakistani Army

4 BBC News, Pakistan Hazara minority protests after bombing in Quetta, 13 April 2019, url
5 Al Jazeera, Explainer: Who are Kashmir's armed groups?, 3 March 2019, url
6 Dawn, Taliban splinter group splits further, 13 November 2017, url
7 UNOCHA, Guiding principles on Internal Displacement, September 2004, url
8 Stanford University, Mapping Militant Organizations. “Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.”, last updated: August 2018, url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Jamaat-ul Ansar Al- An umbrella organisation of Islamist armed insurgent organisations
Shariauniting with the aim of reintroducing a platform to reintroduce alQaeda9
JuA

Jamaat-ul Ahrar (Assembly of the Free), splinter faction of the Tehrik-e
Taliban Pakistan formed in August 2014 and based in Mohmand tribal
district (former FATA)10

JeM

Jaish-e Muhammad (Muhammad’s Army), Islamist armed insurgent
group active in Kashmir11

Jundullah

Soldiers of Allah, a group linked to the TTP and IS12

JSMM

Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz

Khassadar

Tribal militia, institutionalised by the British. In recent times, they havebeen made responsible for security in Pashtun areas, and receive asalary by the Pakistani authorities.13

KP14

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including former FATA

KPTDs

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tribal Districts

Lashkars

Pashtun tribal armies or militias that can be mobilised via traditional
tribal decision mechanisms15

LB

Lashkar-e-Balochistan

LeI

Lashkar-e Islam, a militant Sunni group with a sectarian agenda formed
in 2004 under Mufti Shakir.16 In 2015, Lashkar-e Islam announced that it
was joining Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan.17

LeJ

Lashkar-e Jhangvi, an armed Sunni militant group with a sectarian
agenda in Pakistan formed in 1996. The group has carried out a numberof attacks on minority groups in Pakistan and aims at establishing aSunni caliphate.18

LeT

Lashkar-e Taiba, a Sunni militant group, formed in 1990 and initiallytrained in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan. LeT fights for theunification of the Kashmir region and its integration into Pakistani
territory and also attacks civilian targets in Afghanistan.19

LoC

Line of Control, disputed borderline between India and Pakistan in theregions of Jammu and Kashmir.

9 Zahid, F., Jamaat ul Ansar al-Sharia: The New al-Qaeda Threat in Pakistan, Terrorism Monitor, Volume: 15 Issue: 18, 22

September 2017, url; Zahid, F., The Return of Al-Qaeda to Pakistan, Middle East Institute, 24 August 2017, url
10 Jeffery, F., Documenting: Jihadist groups operating in Afghanistan, 2 June 2019, Aurora Intel, url
11 Zahid, F., Profile of Jaish-e-Muhammad and Leader Masood Azhar, April 2019, Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, url,
pp. 1-5
12 Reuters, Pakistan Taliban splinter group vows allegiance to Islamic State, 18 November 2014, url
13 Express Tribune (The), Khasadar force personnel deprived of salaries, 28 May 2016, url; TNN, Pro-merger people should
now raise their voice for Khassadars’, 14 August 2018, url
14 In this report KP refers to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the exception in the abbreviation ISKP where KP means Khorasan
Province
15 Dawn, Death by lashkar: The forgotten protectors of Adezai village, 9 May 2016, url
16 Dawn, Pakistan bans 25 militant organisations, 6 August 2009, url; Express Tribune (The), List of banned organisations inPakistan, 24 October 2012, url
17 LWJ, 3 jihadist groups merge with Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, 6 May 2015, url
18 USDOS, Country Report on Terrorism 2019, 24 June 2020, url, pp. 283-284
19 Stanford University, Mapping Militant Organizations. “Lashkar-e-Taiba.”, last updated: June 2018, url

9Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

LJA

Lashkar-e Jhangvi Al-Alami, a faction of Lashkar-e Jhangvi20

LWJ

Long War Journal

Khyber-IV

Operation launched by the Pakistani army on 16 July 2017 aimed atclearing Rajgal Valley in Khyber Agency of militants21

Madrassa

Islamic school

MEI

Middle East Institute

MQM-P

Muttahadi Qaumi Movement- Pakistan

NACTA

National Counter Terrorism Authority

NADRA

National Database & Registration Authority

NAP

National Action Plan, Pakistan government plan to eliminate terrorism22

NCA

National Command Authority

NWFP

North West Frontier Province, the former name for Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa

OHCHR

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

OSAC

Overseas Security Advisory Council

PDMA

Provincial Disaster Management Authority

Peace Committee

Often called Aman Jirgas. Members are appointed by the military or
police in order to deal with security issues and to bring peace in an area,with the government giving them authority for out-of-court
arbitration.23

PICSS

Pakistani Institute for Conflict and Security Studies

PIPS

Pak Institute for Peace Studies

PoR

Proof of Registration card: administrative document issued to registered
Afghan refugees in Pakistan24

PPAC

Prime Minister’s Prisoners Reforms Committee

PPP

Pakistan People’s Party

PTI

Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf

PTM

Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, or Pashtun Protection Movement, agrassroots Pashtun civil rights movement25

Radd-ul-Fasaad

Code name for a military operation launched by the Pakistani army on
22 February 201726

Razakar

Pro-government tribal militia27

20 Jamestown Foundation (The), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami: A Pakistani Partner for Islamic State, 27 January 2017, url
21 Dawn, Army launches Operation Khyber-4 in Rajgal Valley, 16 July 2017, url
22 Express Tribune (The), Fight against terrorism: Defining moment, 25 December 2014, url
23 Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium, The role of local institutions in conflict affected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan,

September 2017, url, p. 12
24 UNHCR, UNHCR welcomes Pakistan cabinet’s decision to extend stay of Afghan refugees, 28 June 2019, url
25 BBC News, Manzoor Pashteen: The young tribesman rattling Pakistan's army, 23 April 2018, url
26 Dawn, Pakistan Army launches 'Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad' across the country, 21 June 2017, url
27 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 10

10Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

RFE/RL

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

RSISS. Rajaratnam School of International Studies

SATP

South Asia Terrorism Portal

SDLA

Sindhudesh Liberation Army

SDLF

Sindhu Desh Liberation Front

SDRA

Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army

SMP

Sipah-e Mohammed Pakistan, a Shia militant group28

SSP

Sipah-e Sahaba Pakistan (Army of the Prophet Followers), a former
political party following the Deobandi school in Islam29

TBIJ

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism

TehsilAn administrative division in some parts of Pakistan

TNN

Tribal News Network

TTP

Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, (Pakistan Movement of Taliban), the largest
militant group in Pakistan. The organisation was founded in 2007 and isan umbrella of mostly, but not all, Pakistani Taliban groups. TTP had
pledged allegiance to Mullah Omar, in 2007 the leader of the Taliban in
Afghanistan. The main goal behind TTP's establishment was to unite thevarious factions of the Pakistan Taliban in order to organise
synchronised attacks on NATO/ISAF forces in Afghanistan. The groupalso carries out ‘defensive jihad’ against Pakistani military forces
conducting operations in former FATA.30

UBA

United Baloch Army

UNCAT

United Nations Committee Against Torture

UNSC

United Nations Security Council

USCIRF

United States Commission on International Religious Freedom

USDOD

United States Department of Defense

USDOS

United States Department of State

UNDP

United Nations Development Programme

UNHCR

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNOCHA

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

USIP

United States Institute of Peace

VoA

Voice of America

Zakat

Religious alms

28 Nelson M., EASO, EASO COI Meeting Report: Pakistan; 16-17 October 2017, Rome, February 2018, url, pp. 31-32
29 Nelson, M., EASO, EASO COI Meeting Report: Pakistan; 16-17 October 2017, Rome, February 2018, url, p. 30
30 Elahi, N., Terrorism in Pakistan: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Challenge to Security, March 2019, pp. 75-

90

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Zarb-e-Azb

Code name for a military operation launched by the Pakistani army on
15 June 201431

31 Zulfqar, S., An Overview of Pakistan’s Security Situation after Operation Zarb-e-Azb, October 2017, Islamabad Policy

Research Institute, url, pp. 117-118

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Introduction
This report aims to provide information on the security situation in Pakistan, which is relevant for theassessment of international protection status determination, including refugee status and subsidiary
protection. The terms of reference can be found in Annex 2.
This report was drafted by a Country of Origin Information (COI) specialist from Cedoca, the Belgian
COI unit, as referred to in the Acknowledgements section.

Methodology
This report is an update of the EASO COI report on Pakistan, Security Situation, October 2019.32 The
reference period for the events described in this report is from 1 August 2019 until 31 July 2020. To
allow a better comparison with the year 2018, for data on violent incidents and civilian casualties, thetimeframe taken into account by this report is between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2019 andfrom 1 January 2020 until 31 July 2020.
This report is produced in line with the EASO COI Report Methodology (2019)33 and the EASO COI
Writing and Referencing Style Guide (2019).34

Defining the terms of reference
For the terms of reference of this report, EASO and the COI Specialist Network on Pakistan provided
input to Cedoca. Cedoca defined the terms of reference taking into account this input. The terms ofreference can be found in Annex 2 of this report.

Quality control
In order to ensure that the drafter respected the EASO COI Report Methodology, a review was carriedout by COI specialists from the countries and organisations listed as reviewers in the
Acknowledgements section. This quality process led to the inclusion of some additional information,
in response to feedback received during the respective reviews, until 18 September 2020. Allcomments made by the reviewers were taken into consideration and most of them were implemented
in the final draft of this report.

Sources
The information in this report results from desk research of public specialised paper-based andelectronic sources, which were consulted within the time frame and the scope of the research. In
addition, the Cedoca researcher, a specialist on Pakistan, sent a query on 10 June 2020 to thefollowing experts. They each responded by email within the reference period of this report.
••

Asad Hashim, email, 6 July 2020. Asad Hashim is a Pakistani journalist covering Pakistan.
Mansur Khan Mahsud, email, 30 June 2020. Mansur Khan Mahsud is the Executive
Director of FATA Research Center (FRC).

32 EASO COI reports are available via EASO’s website: url
33 EASO, EASO Country of Origin Information (COI) Report Methodology, June 2019, url
34 EASO, Writing and Referencing Guide for EASO Country of Origin Information (COI) Reports, June 2019, url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation•

Michael Kugelman, email, 6 August 2020. Michael Kugelman is the Asia Program Deputy
Director and Senior Associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson International Center
for Scholars (United States).

The query list sent to the aforementioned experts can be found in Annex 3 of this report.
This report relies extensively on data about security incidents and casualties provided by different
institutions, which was either published in reports available on their websites or was provided by email
to EASO/Cedoca.35 Data on the security incidents provided by Pakistani institutes such as the Pakistan
Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), FATA
Research Centre (FRC) and also the publicly available curated dataset on South Asia from the Armed
Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) was used. For civilian casualties, the main sources
used are the publications by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). Where possible, dataon casualties provided by PICSS, PIPS and FRC was also used.
The following descriptions of their respective methodologies are based on each institution’s own
reports or websites.
The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) is an independent research think-tankbased in Islamabad. PICSS collects statistical data regarding Pakistan-specific anti-state
violence.36 PICSS publishes annual security reports and divides incidents of violence mainly in two
categories: 1. ‘violent militant attacks’ and ‘Security Forces Actions’. Sectarian violence, generalcrimes, ethnic or language-based violence are not recorded. The data collected is based on open
sources such as newspapers, government sources and own correspondents. PICSS defines violent
militant attacks as follows: ‘a. Militant Attacks against government, public, or private targets. Thesetargets can be against life or property e.g. government installations such as gas pipelines, electricity
transmission lines etc., b. Militant clashes among different militant groups.’37
The Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), established in Islamabad, was founded in January 2006. Oneof the founding members is Muhammad Amir Rana, a security and political analyst.38 PIPS monitors
relevant incidents in Pakistan on a daily basis, from sources such as correspondents in the different
regions, newspapers, magazines, journals and television news channels. The information is gatheredin the PIPS conflict/security database and archives which form the base for their annual and monthly
reports.39 PIPS divides ‘attacks’ into five categories:‘(i) terrorist attacks, including militant attacks, nationalist insurgent attacks and sectarianrelated attacks;40(ii) incidents of ethno-political violence;(iii) cross-border attacks;(iv) drone attacks; and(v) operational attacks by security forces against militants’.41
PIPS defines ‘casualties’ as follows: ‘casualties include both the number of people killed and injured’.42
The FATA Research Centre (FRC) is a private and apolitical research organisation based in Islamabadand established in 2009. FRC provides only information on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tribal Districts

35 PIPS, PICSS and FRC provided data by email to Cedoca. Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020

courtesy of PICSS; Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS; Khan Mahsud, M.,email, 8 August 2020 data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of FRC
36 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 1
37 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 2
38 PIPS, PIPS Team, n.d., url
39 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 7
40 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 7
41 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 7
42 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 8

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation(KPTDs) previously known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan.43 The datacollected by FRC is based on sources such as newspapers, government sources and own
correspondents in all seven KPTDs. FRC mentions that their research contains certain limitations since
the area is undergoing counter-insurgency operations and curfews.44 FRC defines ‘terrorist attacks’ asfollows: ‘Indiscriminate use of violence by local, non-local, and foreign terrorist outfits’.45
The Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) is a Pakistani research institute that analyses
politics and security in the country. Executive Director, Imtiaz Gul, founded CRSS in December 2007.46
CRSS publishes annually a report on the security situation in Pakistan and also quarterly reports.47
CRSS uses open sources such as national printed and electronic media.48 The reports mainly containstatistical data on violence-related casualties.49
The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) is a project collecting, analysing andmapping information on crisis and conflict in Africa, south and south-east Asia, the Middle East, East
Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Latin America and others and also provides datasets on conflict
incidents.50
ACLED codes security incidents as follows:•

Battles: violent clashes between at least two armed groups. ‘Battles can occur between armed
and organised state, non-state, and external groups, and in any combination therein. Subevents of battles are armed clashes, government regains territory and non-state actor
overtakes territory.’•

Violence against civilians: violent events where an organised armed group deliberately inflicts
violence upon unarmed non-combatants. It includes violent attacks on unarmed civilians suchas sexual violence, attacks, abduction/forced disappearance.’•

Explosions/remote violence: events where an explosion, bomb or other explosive device wasused to engage in conflict. They include one-sided violent events in which the tool for
engaging in conflict creates asymmetry by taking away the ability of the target to engage ordefend themselves and their location. They include air/drone strikes, suicide bombs,
shelling/artillery/missile attack, remote explosive/landmine/IED, grenade, chemical weapon.

•

Riots: are a violent demonstration, often involving a spontaneous action by unorganised,unaffiliated members of society. They include violent demonstration, mob violence.

•Protests: ‘public demonstration in which the participants do not engage in violence, thoughviolence may be used against them. It includes peaceful protests, protest with intervention,
excessive force against protesters.’•

Strategic developments: information regarding the activities of violent groups that is not itself
recorded as political violence, yet may trigger future events or contribute to political dynamics
within and across states. Among others it includes agreements, change to group/activity, nonviolent transfer of territory, arrests.51

43 FRC, About Us, n.d., url; FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. II
44 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. III
45 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. IV
46 Imtiaz Gul Official Website, Biography, n.d., url
47 For example: CRSS, CRSS Annual Security Report Special Edition 2013 – 2018, March 2019, url; CRSS, Annual Security Report

2019, 28 January 2020, url; CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, First Quarter, 2020, 7 April 2020, url
48 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url
49 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 2
50 ACLED, About Acled, n.d., url; For more information on ACLED methodology, see ACLED Codebook, url
51 ACLED, Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) Codebook, October 2017, url, pp. 7-14

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Data on violent incidents reported in Chapter 2 of this report is based on EASO/Cedoca analysis of
ACLED public data extracted on 1 August 2020. For the purpose of this report,52 only the following
type of events were included in the analysis of the security situation in Pakistan: battles,
explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians. The ACLED data and maps derived fromsuch data, used in this report refer to the timeframe between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2019
and 1 January 2020 until 31 July 2020 (based on the ACLED curated dataset for South Asia-updated
until 1 August 2020).53
Because of the use of a different methodology and terminology by each institution, the data on
security incidents and casualties can differ between the institutions. For example, while PIPS records‘terrorist attacks’, PICSS records militant attacks. Therefore, chapters 1.4.1 Figures on civilian fatalities
and 1.4.2 Figures on casualties 1 January 2020 - 31 July 2020 present data from the different sources
separately to allow comparison and a clearer understanding of the situation.
On Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Pakistan, information collected from the United Nations
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Pakistan and information collectedby the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) was used.54 These IDP data is complemented
with anecdotal information on IDP movements in or from the provinces and information on thecauses. This information comes mainly from media sources.
In the regional description, a government source was used to describe the population figures in theadministrative divisions.55 This source was used because it provides the most recent population figures
in Pakistan. Some sources casted doubts about the results of the 2017 census.56
Due to the deteriorating situation for journalists in Pakistan, several sources mentioned difficulties onreporting concerning the security situation. In an interview via email on 6 July 2020, Pakistani
journalist, Asad Hashim stated the following:‘The Pakistani news media, both electronic and print, is now reporting in an environment
where it is almost impossible to report critically on security issues in particular, and issues
related to the state in general. Censorship is widespread, through the use of punitive
measures targeting news organisations financially if they do not comply with the military andgovernment’s directives. The censorship does not necessarily involve blocking reporting of
security incidents, but usually takes the form of only allowing the government’s version of
events to be published. Critical reporting on political reasons for the armed Baloch fight forindependence, for example, is virtually impossible. Criticism of Pakistani security forces
approach to responding to security incidents or of alleged rights abuses by them is similarly
impossible. In Balochistan and the former tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, journalists
continue to face physical threats such as enforced disappearances, harassment and legal cases
for reporting critically.’57
In an interview via email on 30 June 2020, the Executive Director of FRC, Mansur Khan Mahsud stated
the following on the difficulties experienced in the KPTDs:‘So far journalists can work in Khyber, Kurram, Mohmand, Bajaur and Orakzai tribal districts
but it is difficult for journalists to work in North and South Waziristan tribal districts where
militants are still present and involved in militant activities and TTP and Gull Bahadur group
52 Fatalities collected by ACLED were not used in this report
53 ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (1 August 2020), url
54 UNOCHA Pakistan, email, 9 July 2020; IDMC, GRID 2020 Global Report on Internal Displacement, 28 April 2020, url
55 Pakistan, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Provisional Summary Results of 6th Population & Housing Census-2017, 25 August

2017, url
56 Daily Pakistan, Mustafa Kamal challenges census 2017 results in SC, 25 April 2018, url; Express Tribune (The), Census 2017:
FATA lawmakers dispute census count, 26 August 2017, url; Dawn, Opposition parties suspicious of census results, 27 August
2017, url
57 Hashim, A., email, 6 July 2020. Asad Hashim is a Pakistani journalist covering Pakistan.

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

don’t like journalists highlighting their militant and criminal activities in North and South
Waziristan. TTP has warned the journalists that they should not write against TTP and their
allies otherwise they would be targeted by them. TTP claims that most of the journalists works
for the government and security forces and print false news about TTP and its allies.’58

Structure and use of the report
This report provides information on elements and indicators that may help in assessing the need forinternational protection. In the first part a general description is given on the security situation in
Pakistan. The second part explains the security situation per province in more detail. A generaldescription of the province contains information on the geography and population, and on the
background of the conflict, including the actors active in the province. A description of recent trends
in the security situation provides quantitative (numbers) and qualitative information (examples anddescription of trends). A sub-chapter focuses on the nature of the violence, frequency, targets,
locations, and descriptions of incidents within a timeframe 1 August 2019 until 31 July 2020. Anothersub-chapter includes information about civilian casualties. Finally, conflict-induced displacements aredescribed in a separate section.
Both the general and regional descriptions provide information from various sources on the relevant
elements and indicators. Information on an indicator as such should never be taken as conclusive, but
as indicative for the assessment of protection needs, and should be read in conjunction with otherindicators and information on the region.
Administrative divisions
The description of the security situation uses the following administrative divisions:•••

The four provinces: Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan59 and Sindh;
Islamabad Capital Territory;
The two administrative regions: Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.60

On 28 May 2018, the former President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain signed the FATA Interim
Governance Regulation (2018) which will govern FATA until it merges with KP by 2020.61 EASO opted
to follow the administrative divisions used by UNOCHA, as they produce very clear maps and use thesame division systematically in all their publications.62 In this report, following UNOCHA’s
administrative division, former FATA is described in the section of the province of KP (see Map 1). In
this report, the new names of the KPTDs for each of the former tribal agencies in FATA are used.63 For
a better understanding of these tribal districts and because of their impact on the security situation,
the KP tribal districts are described in general terms and then in more detail in the relevant chapter(see 2.2.2 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (including former FATA)).

58 Mahsud Khan, M., email, 30 June 2020. Mansur Khan Mahsud is the executive director of FRC.
59 Balochistan refers to the Pakistani province of Baluchistan (see Map 1)
60 Map 1: the two regions are situated in the north of Pakistan. On Map 1, they are indicated in the grey area in the north ofPakistan
61 Dawn, President signs KP-Fata merger bill into law, 31 May 2018, url; RFE/RL, Pakistani Tribal Areas Face Long Road To
Stabilization, 28 May 2018, url
62 All their relevant maps can be found at: UNOCHA, Humanitarian Response, Maps/Infographics, url
63 Express Tribune (The), Tribal areas re-designated as districts, sub-divisions, 12 June 2018, url; Express Tribune (The),
Notification issued for composition of new administrative divisions in Mohmand, Khyber, 20 July 2018, url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Map

Map 1: Pakistan-Overview © UNOCHA64

64

UNOCHA, Pakistan-Overview map [map], 3 December 2018, url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

1. General description of the security
situation in Pakistan
1.1 Overview of recent conflicts in Pakistan
Internal and external security challenges have an influence on the security situation in the country.65
The internal security challenges consist of political and economic instability, ethnic and sectarian
conflicts, religious extremism and militancy.66 The external security challenges are influenced by the
relationship of Pakistan with neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan and India.67

1.1.1 Background of militancy
Militant violence in Pakistan is mainly caused by the separatist insurgency in Balochistan and theinstability in the north-west of the country resulting from the 2001 toppling of the Taliban regime in
Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban settled in former FATA and in the North Western Frontier Province(NWFP, currently Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), having fled the invasion of an international coalition led by
the United States (US) in Afghanistan.68 Under their influence, several Pakistani groups with a similar
ideology continued working together in what developed into a federation of armed groups. Taliban
policies included a strict application of conservative Islamic principles and resulted in violence against
civilians and eventually the Pakistani authorities.69 The Pakistan military and intelligence service werereported to support some armed groups. Previously Pakistan supported the mujahideen, and when in2001 they allied with the US to fight against Taliban, Pakistan had to relinquish their support for some
Islamist groups due to pressure from the US.70
Since 2007, the Pakistani security forces have carried out several military operations in the tribal
districts aimed at breaking the power of the Pakistani Taliban and their affiliated organisations.71
Military operations against the Pakistani Taliban have been one of the main sources of insecurity,
causing a large-scale displacement in the north-west of Pakistan.72
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s efforts to negotiate a peace agreement in February 201473 with
the Taliban were unsuccessful.74 Soon after, militants attacked an international airport in Karachi on
8 June 2014.75 The Pakistani government launched a military offensive on 15 June 2014 against
militant strongholds in North Waziristan.76 This military operation was code-named Zarb-e-Azb (see65 Askari Rizvi, H., Pakistan’s internal and external security challenges, 2 March 2020, 24Digital, url; Parry, A.W. and Aalam,

K.U., Pakistan Tiptoeing on Security Challenges”, 19 July 2019, iNSAMER, url, pp. 1-2
66 Parry, A.W. and Aalam, K.U., Pakistan Tiptoeing on Security Challenges”, 19 July 2019, INSAMER, url, pp. 2-3; Amir Rana,
M., Terrorism in Pakistan under Covid-19, NIOC, 24 July 2020, url, p. 18
67 Askari Rizvi, H., Pakistan’s internal and external security challenges, 2 March 2020, 24Digital, url; Parry, A.W. and Aalam,
K.U., Pakistan Tiptoeing on Security Challenges”, 19 July 2019, INSAMER, url, pp. 1-2
68 Rashid, A., Descent into Chaos, 2008, pp. 265-270; AI, As if hell fell on me, the human rights crisis in northwest Pakistan,
10 June 2010, url, pp. 10-11
69 Rashid, A., Descent into Chaos, 2008, pp. 265-270; AI, As if hell fell on me, the human rights crisis in northwest Pakistan,
10 June 2010, url, pp. 10-11
70 Deutsche Welle, What is Pakistan's militancy issue all about?, 1 December 2017, url
71 Al Jazeera, Pakistan military warns Pashtun rights group its 'time is up', 30 April 2019, url
72 ECHO, Pakistan-Factsheet, last updated: 1 February 2019, url
73 BBC News, Pakistan enters peace talks with Taliban, 6 February 2014, url
74 Reuters, Peace Talks between Pakistan and Taliban collapse after killings, 17 February 2014, url
75 Dawn, TTP claims attack on Karachi airport, 8 June 2014, url
76 Dawn, Zarb-e-Azb operation: 120 suspected militants killed in N Waziristan, 16 June 2014, url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

sub-chapter Security operations and armed clashes).77 The militants responded with several attacks.
On 2 November 2014, a suicide bombing claimed 60 lives at the Wagah border crossing near Lahore,a symbolic and sensitive area.78 On 16 December 2014, an attack on the Army Public School in
Peshawar killed nearly 150 people, mostly children of army personnel.79
On 25 December 2014, after consultation with different political parties, former Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif announced a 20-point comprehensive plan of action - the National Action Plan (NAP) in order to confront the insurgent threat. The plan encompassed the establishment of special courts
for the speedy trial of ‘terrorist suspects’, and a moratorium on capital punishment was revoked, after
being instated earlier in December 2014. The plan furthermore stipulated the deployment of a 5 000strong counterterrorism force across the country. Under the plan, no armed militias would be allowed
to function in the country and the funding of terrorist organisations would be ‘choked’. The plan also
envisaged combatting hate speech. The Pakistani army confirmed that military operations in the tribal
areas ‘would continue’.80
In 2015 and 2016, Operation Zarb-e-Azb continued.81 The Pakistani army was targeting a wide arrayof militant groups in the tribal areas.82 Besides military operations, the Pakistani army was called upon
to provide security backup to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).83 In February 2017, aseries of ‘terrorist attacks’ occurred in the country. In response to these attacks, on 22 February 2017,
the government of Pakistan announced a countrywide military operation code-named Radd-UlFasaad (see sub-chapter Security operations and armed clashes).84 In the run-up to the generalelections of 25 July 2018, the country witnessed a surge in violent attacks.85
In an interview via email on 6 July 2020, Asad Hashim stated the following about the security situationin 2019:‘This reduction in overall violence is consistent with a trend seen since 2014, when Pakistanisecurity forces undertook a widespread military operation targeting the Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) and its allies. It has displaced those groups from their erstwhile strongholds inNorth Waziristan and adjoining districts, thereby reducing their operational capacity to carryout attacks on Pakistani soil. Significant threats do, however, remain. Attacks by Improvised
Explosive Device (IED), targeted shooting, suicide bombing, hand grenades and rockets all
occurred in 2019.’86
On 6 August 2020, Michael Kugelman, the Asia Program Deputy Director and Senior Associate forSouth Asia at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, stated the following about the
security situation in the first half of 2020:‘The security situation remained relatively calm during the first half of 2020, comparable toall of 2019. The situation described in the previous response for 2019 also applies for the firsthalf of 2020. However, one key area to watch is the issue of separatist militancy. In the firsthalf of 2020 (though also to an extent in 2019), groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army
have become more active and staged some major attacks, including an assault on the stock
77 Dawn, Zarb-e-Azb operation: 120 suspected militants killed in N Waziristan, 16 June 2014, url; BBC News, Pakistan army

North Waziristan offensive: thousands flee, 19 June 2014, url; Reuters, Pakistan army in for long haul in offensive against
Taliban, 17 June 2014, url
78 Dawn, TTP splinter groups claim Wagah attack: 60 dead, 3 November 2014, url
79 CNN, In Pakistan school attack, Taliban terrorists kill 145, mostly children, 17 December 2014, url; New York Times (The),
Taliban Besiege Pakistan School, Leaving 145 Dead, 16 December 2014, url
80 Express Tribune (The), Fight against terrorism: Defining moment, 25 December 2014, url
81 Diplomat (The), Pakistan’s Counterterrorism Operation: Myth vs. Reality, 27 June 2016, url
82 Nation (The), Operation Zarb-e-Azb: Two years of success, 6 September 2016, url
83 Express Tribune (The), Pakistan Army leaving no stone unturned to protect Chinese investment, 8 February 2016, url
84 Dawn, Pakistan Army launches 'Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad' across the country, 21 June 2017, url
85 BBC News, Pakistan election: Who's who and why it matters, 22 July 2018, url
86 Hashim, A., email, 6 July 202020

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situationexchange in Karachi. These Baloch groups appear to be looking to broaden their clout as well.
One of the biggest developments so far in the 2020 security environment is theannouncement of a new alliance between Baloch separatist groups and nationalists in Sindh
province—this interprovincial alliance is unprecedented, and suggests a desire on the part of(non-Islamist) anti-state actors to step up their fight.’87

1.1.2 Ethnic and sectarian violence
In July 2020, Abdul Basit, research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS),
stated that a decline in militant violence is noticeable but that the threat of militancy has notdisappeared. Basit mentioned that ‘the structural factors of violence —religious intolerance, abysmal
socio-economic conditions and ethno-nationalist grievances —not only remain unaddressed but they
have exacerbated further in recent years.’ The geopolitical situation (the intra-Afghan peace process
and the India-China border dispute) have implications on the security situation and on anti-Pakistan
militant groups, particularly on the ethno-separatist groups, according to Basit.88
Examples of ethnic militancy include the case of Karachi (multicultural environment mixed withmilitant wings of political parties) and the case of Balochistan (Quetta), where the Shia Hazara
community has been specifically targeted.89 In July 2020, the News on Sunday mentioned that in theprovince of Sindh, banned separatist groups from Sindh and Balochistan posed a new security
challenge.90
Militant groups have continuously targeted religious minorities in Pakistan throughout the years.
Shias, Hindus, Christians and Ahmadiyya communities were the victims of sectarian violence.91 PIPS
mentioned that not only extremist and sectarian terrorist groups but also groups that promotereligious intolerance can put society at risk.92 In its 2020 annual report (covering 2019), the UnitedStates Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) noted that religious freedom
conditions deteriorated in recent years, despite some positive developments in 2019.93 In an email
dated 6 August 2020, Michael Kugelman stated about the year 2019 that:‘While Pakistan has managed to kill many terrorists and destroy their networks, Pakistan
continues to provide an enabling environment for radicalization and extremism thanks to the
far-reaching prevalence of hate speech and extremist ideologies that emanate from influential
information sources ranging from school textbooks, religious leaders, and television shows.
And Pakistan continues to harbor ties to terror groups that are used as assets to pursue
Islamabad’s interests in Afghanistan and India. They don’t stage attacks in Pakistan, but they
are present in Pakistan.’94

1.1.3 Political developments
On 25 July 2018, general elections were held in Pakistan. The run-up to the elections wasovershadowed by a series of violent incidents in different provinces, by criminal cases opened against
members of the ruling party and by the Prime Minister’s accusation that the military had interfered.95

87 Kugelman, M., email, 6 August 2020. Michael Kugelman is the Asia Program Deputy Director and Senior Associate for South

Asia at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (United States).
88 Nation (The), (Basit, A.), A New Wave of Terrorism in Pakistan, 14 July 2020, url
89 Azam, M., Javaid, U., The sources of Militancy in Pakistan, (July - December, 2017), url, pp. 193-194
90 News on Sunday (The), A new wave of terror, 5 July 2020, url
91 CSW, General Briefing: Pakistan, 1 May 2020, url
92 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 12
93 USCIRF, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom 2020 Annual Report; USCIRF – Recommended forCountries of Particular Concern (CPC): Pakistan, April 2020, url, p. 32, p. 33
94 Kugelman, M., email, 6 August 2020
95 BBC News, Pakistan election: Who's who and why it matters, 22 July 2018, url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI) party won most seats for the National Assembly.96 On
18 August 2018, Imran Khan was sworn in as Pakistan’s Prime Minister.97 On 9 September 2018, Arif
Alvi was sworn in as President of Pakistan.98
The Pakistani military is a prominent player in Pakistan's politics, particularly with regard to domestic
security, foreign policy and economic affairs.99 A May 2020 commentary by the European Foundationof South Asian Studies (EFSAS), an Amsterdam-based think tank, stated that in the wake of the 2013
general elections the military dominance in Pakistan increased.100 Serving and retired military officials
were given a number of key functions in the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan.101 In an April
2020 report of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), analyst Cyril Almeida mentioned that the
government of Imran Khan ‘struggles to govern and manage the economy’.102 According to a March
2020 article published by the New York Times, the COVID-19103 outbreak in Pakistan demonstrated
the tensions between the government and the military.104
Pakistan witnessed the emerge of the Pashtun Tahafuz (Protection) Movement (PTM), a civil rights
movement advocating for rights for the country’s Pashtun minority.105 Sources are unclear about thedate when the PTM emerged. According to Al Jazeera, the PTM was founded in 2016.106 The Diplomat
stated that the PTM was ‘launched’ in 2018.107 The PTM has the following main demands: theclearance of land mines from the tribal districts; accountability for targeted killings, for extrajudicial
killings, for missing persons, and people who have been held without charge or crime by thegovernment.108 Manzoor Pashteen leads the PTM and the movement holds rallies and sit-ins. The
media barely covers these rallies.109 Two other leaders of the PTM, Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir, ran
in the general elections in 2018 as independent candidates and each won a seat in the National
Assembly.110 During 2018, the PTM and its leadership were labelled as ‘traitors, disloyal, and antistate’ by their opponents, according to a 2019 article of the Diplomat. The police and security agencies
arrested several members and activists.111 The Pakistani military accused the PTM of being funded byIndia's Research and Analysis Wing (the Indian Intelligence Service) and the Afghan intelligenceagency.112 Ali Wazir and eight others were arrested113 after the military killed three protesters at acheckpoint in North Waziristan on 26 May 2019, according to the PTM. The military, however, said
that it responded after the protesters opened fire first.114 Mohsin Dawar was arrested a couple of days
later.115 On 21 September 2019 both Wazir and Dawar, were released from prison on bail.116 On

96 RFE/RL, Pakistani Opposition Leader Khan Ahead In Early Results, Media Report, 27 July 2018, url
97 Guardian (The), Imran Khan sworn in as prime minister of Pakistan, 18 August 2018, url
98 Dawn, Arif Alvi sworn in as 13th President of Pakistan, 10 September 2018, url
99 New York Times (The), Imran Khan’s ‘New Pakistan’ Is as Good as the Old, 17 July 2019, url
100 EFSAS, The Military's overbearing shadow over Pakistan, 15 May 2020, url
101 Deutsche Welle, Why are Pakistan's generals taking up top civilian posts?, 28 May 2020, url
102 Almeida, C. and Olson, R., Pakistan’s Looming Coronavirus Crisis, 1 April 2020, USIP, url
103 Coronavirus disease 2019. Pakstan witnessed its first cases of COVID-19 on 26 February 2020; Arab News Pakistan,

Pakistan prepares to fight back as two coronavirus cases emerge in country, 26 February 2020, url
104 New York Times (The), ‘God Will Protect Us’: Coronavirus Spreads Through an Already Struggling Pakistan, 26 March 2020,
url
105 BBC News, Manzoor Pashteen: The young tribesman rattling Pakistan's army, 23 April 2018, url
106 Al Jazeera, Why is Pakistan's Pashtun movement under attack?, 28 January 2020, url
107 Diplomat (The), Pakistan’s Pashtun Rights Movement Suffers First Casualty, 5 February 2019, url
108 Al Jazeera, Pakistan military warns Pashtun rights group its 'time is up', 30 April 2019, url
109 Diplomat (The), Pakistan’s Pashtun Rights Movement Suffers First Casualty, 5 February 2019, url; Brookings, Why is
Pakistan’s military repressing a huge, nonviolent Pashtun protest movement?, 7 February 2020, url
110 International News (The), Two PTM leaders make it to NA, 29 July 2018, url
111 Diplomat (The), Pakistan’s Pashtun Rights Movement Suffers First Casualty, 5 February 2019, url
112 Deutsche Welle, Is Pakistan's war-ravaged northwestern region turning against the military?, 7 May 2019, url
113 Al Jazeera, Pakistani legislator Dawar surrenders to authorities, 30 May 2019, url
114 Al Jazeera, Three killed by military gunfire at Pakistan rights protest, 26 May 2019, url
115 RFE/RL, Pakistan Arrests Second Pashtun Lawmaker Over 'Attack' On Troops, 30 May 2019, url
116 Dawn, MNAs Ali Wazir, Mohsin Dawar released from jail as bail goes into effect, 21 September 2019, url

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27 January 2020, Manzoor Pashteen was arrested in Peshawar together with nine others of the PTM
on charges of sedition and hate speech.117 On 25 February 2020, Manzoor Pashteen was released fromprison.118 Arif Wazir, a leader of the PTM and brother of Ali Wazir, was arrested on 17 April 2020. He
was ‘accused of delivering “anti-Pakistan” remarks during a recent visit to Afghanistan’. Arif Wazir
died on 2 May 2020 after he was attacked by unknown gunmen in Wana in South Waziristan tribal
district. Members of the PTM accused the state of being the perpetrators of the attack.119 In June
2020, the PTM accepted an invitation by the government of Pakistan for consultation but mentionedthat the government should first take confidence-building measures.120

1.1.4 International context
In the last decade, relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been complex and troubled.121
Both countries have been blaming each other for sheltering terrorists122 and escalating bordertensions resulted in Pakistan building a fence on the border to prevent the movement of militants.123
The United States Department of Defense (USDOD) noted that even though Pakistani military
operations disrupted some militant safe havens, certain groups, such as the Afghan Taliban and the
Haqqani Network enjoyed freedom of movement in Pakistan.124 During the US-Taliban negotiations,
Pakistan played a key role helping to bring the Taliban to the table.125 At the end of June 2019,
President Ashraf Ghani visited Pakistan to discuss different topics such as strengthening bilateral
cooperation and the role of Pakistan in achieving peace in Afghanistan.126 On 9 June 2020, Pakistan’s
military and intelligence chiefs had a meeting in Kabul which was described as an ice breaker for the
relations between the two countries.127 The visit occurred within the context of intra-Afghan peace
dialogue which was set to begin in mid-June 2020.128 In July 2020, Pakistan invited Afghanistan’s chief
peace negotiator, Abdullah Abdullah, for an official visit to Islamabad. Raoof Hasan, chief executive ofIslamabad-based Regional Policy Institute, cited in Voice of America (VoA), mentioned that thisinvitation is seen ‘as a good move and another sign of thaw in bilateral strained relations’.129 In July
2020, rockets were fired in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Afghanistan
demanded that Pakistan refrained from these kinds of attacks.130 The reopening of trade routes131
between Afghanistan and Pakistan in July 2020 is seen as a positive and improving sign in the ties
between both countries.132
Ties between Pakistan and India deteriorated in 2019 due to a series of events.133 The heightened
tensions started with the February 2019 attack in Pulwama in Indian-administered Kashmir claimed
by Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM).134 On 26 February 2019, the Indian Air Force conducted airstrikes at
Balakot in Pakistan.135 On 5 August 2019, India removed Kashmir’s special autonomous status (Indian117 BBC News, Manzoor Pashteen: Activist who dared to challenge Pakistan army held, 27 January 2020, url
118 Dawn, PTM's Manzoor Pashteen released from jail, 25 February 2020, url
119 Gandhara, Lawmaker Sees State-Sponsored Militants Behind Pashtun Activist’s Killing, 11 May 2020, url
120 Dawn, PTM says ready for talks but calls for confidence-building measures, 27 June 2020, url
121 International News (The), Pakistan and Afghan peace, 28 July 2020, url
122 Daily Pakistan, Pakistan desires peace, stability in Afghanistan: Khawaja Asif, 2 September 2017, url
123 Dawn, Pakistan holds 'keys to war', says Afghan president, 31 January 2019, url
124 USDOD, Enhancing Security and Stability in Afghanistan, December 2018, url, p. 24
125 Afzal, M., Will the Afghan peace process be Pakistan’s road to redemption?, Brookings, 25 June 2020, url
126 Al Jazeera, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani arrives in Pakistan for key talks, 27 June 2019, url
127 Express Tribune (The), Afghanistan's Abdullah Abdullah to visit Pakistan soon, 5 July 2020, url
128 AA, Pakistan's military, intelligence chiefs visit Kabul, 9 June 2020, url
129 VoA, Official: Top Afghan Leader to Visit Pakistan Amid Improving Ties, 5 July 2020, url
130 Al Jazeera, Afghanistan condemns cross-border rocket firing by Pakistan, 16 July 2020, url
131 Diplomat (The), What Does Afghanistan’s Latest Outreach to Pakistan Mean for India?, 27 July 2020, url
132 Express Tribune (The), Afghanistan and our region’s stability, 31 July 2020, url
133 Anadolu Agency, India-Pakistan in 2019: Mistrust plagues relations, 24 December 2019, url
134 Deutsche Welle, India and Pakistan's troubled history, 27 February 2019, url; BBC News, Kashmir attack: Tracing the paththat led to Pulwama, 1 May 2019, url
135 BBC News, Balakot: Indian air strikes target militants in Pakistan, 26 February 2019, url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

administered Kashmir) from its constitution with a presidential decree. Pakistan reacted by statingthat it will expel India’s high commissioner in Islamabad and suspend all trade with India.136 In
November 2019, the opening of a corridor to allow Indian pilgrims visa-free access to shrines in
Kartarpur established hope on a normalisation of the relation between Pakistan and India.137 In June
2020, a diplomatic feud between the two countries erupted, leading to reduce the diplomatic staff inboth countries by half.138 On 30 June 2020, Prime Minister Imran Khan accused India in the parliamentof Pakistan of being behind the attack on the stock exchange building in Karachi.139 In August 2020,
Pakistan asked the US to mediate and to help deescalate the tensions with India.140
Pakistan and China have long-standing ties.141 In April 2020, Daniel Markey, a senior researchprofessor, stated that the relationship between the two countries centred much more on military andstrategic cooperation than on economic development.142 The Pakistan government reinforced the
security forces in order to protect the workers and projects in regards to the China Pakistan Economic
Corridor (CPEC) after the attack in May 2019 on the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar by the
Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).143 In October 2019, China expressed their support to Pakistan on
the issue of Kashmir.144 In June 2020, both nations were close to signing an agreement on the start ofthe second phase of CPEC.145
A June 2020 article of the Diplomat stated that the relationship between Pakistan and Iran is ‘bothcomplex and important’.146 In April 2019, Pakistan and Iran agreed to set up a joint security force topolice the border and to increase bilateral security co-operation.147 In the aftermath of an attack on
Pakistani security forces on 8 May 2020 in the border region with Iran, General Qamar Bajwa, asked
his Iranian counterpart to take action against local militant groups operating in Iran.148
The relationship between the United States and Pakistan is one of ups and downs.149 According to astatement of the Foreign Minister of Pakistan in September 2019, ties between the United States andPakistan were improving.150 In June 2020, Al Jazeera stated that the US mentioned that the US Special
Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad ‘expressed his appreciation’ in Pakistan
efforts in the United States - Afghan peace deal signed in February 2020 in Doha.151 A March 2020
policy paper published by the Middle East Institute (MEI) described the relationship as ‘relatively
calm’. This policy paper emphasised the strategic differences in how both countries view one anotherand their different interests in the region.152

136 BBC News, Kashmir dispute: Pakistan downgrades ties with India, 7 August 2019, url; International Crisis Group, Raising

the Stakes in Jammu and Kashmir, 5 August 2020, url
137 Anadolu Agency, India-Pakistan in 2019: Mistrust plagues relations, 24 December 2019, url
138 VoA, Pakistan, India in Diplomatic Feud, 23 June 2020, url
139 Deutsche Welle, Pakistan's Imran Khan blames India for stock exchange attack, 30 June 2020, url
140 Dawn, Pakistan urges US to help de-escalate tensions with India, 12 August 2020, url
141 Diplomat (The), Pakistan’s Burgeoning Relationship with China, 24 January 2018, url
142 Markey, D., How the United States Should Deal With China in Pakistan, 8 April 2020, The Carnegie–Tsinghua Center for
Global Policy, url, p. 8
143 Fatima, A., CPEC Security in 2019, 16 June 2020, url, pp. 1-2
144 Deutsche Welle, Pakistan thanks China for 'support on Kashmir issue', 9 October 2019, url
145 Pakistan Today, CPEC second phase all set to commence, Gen (r) Bajwa announces, 18 June 2020, url
146 Diplomat (The), Iran and Pakistan: Placing Border Problems in Context , 12 June 2020, url
147 Deutsche Welle, Iran, Pakistan agree to joint border 'reaction force', 22 April 2020, url
148 Dawn, 6 FC personnel martyred in IED blast near Pak-Iran border, 8 May 2020, url; Al-Monitor, Pakistan calls for tighter
security on Iran border following fatal attack, 21 May 2020, url
149 Afzal, M., Will the Afghan peace process be Pakistan’s road to redemption?, Brookings, 25 June 2020, url
150 VoA, Relations With US Improving, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Says, 26 September 2019, url
151 Al Jazeera, Pakistan, US hold talks on restarting intra-Afghan peace talks, 8 June 2020, url
152 Weinbaum, G.M. and Mohammed, Ali S., Seizing the Moment for Change: Pathways to a Sustainable US-Pakistan
Relationship, 3 March 2020, MEI, url, p. 1

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

1.2 Actors in the conflict
1.2.1 State forces
The section below provides a description of the different branches of state armed forces. For adetailed description of the state’s ability to secure law and order, see 1.5. State ability to secure law
and order.
Armed Forces
According to the 2020 Global Fire Power Index, Pakistan’s military strength was ranked 15 th in theworld out of 138 countries.153 The Global Fire Power Index estimated the total military strength atapproximately 1.2 million with 654 000 active personnel and 550 000 reserves.154 Operational control
rests with the National Command Authority (NCA). Pakistan’s nuclear and conventional forces havetraditionally been oriented and structured against a threat from India. Since 2008, a priority for thearmy has been counter-insurgency operations, mainly against Islamist groups, for which forces wereredeployed from the Indian border.155
The Pakistani army consists of 26 combat divisions falling under the control of nine army corps. Most
divisions are infantry divisions. Pakistan has 425 combat aircraft and has seven airborne early warningand control aircraft.156 The navy consists of nine frigates, eight submarines, seventeen patrol andcoastal vessels, and eight combat capable aircraft according to an article of Reuters.157 According to
the 2018 US Department of Labor report on Child Labor for Pakistan, there is no conscription and no
standing military.158
Since November 2016, the Pakistan army is led by General Qamar Jawed Bajwa.159 In August 2019, thegovernment of Pakistan extended the tenure of General Bajwa with three years. This move came threemonths before his tenure would end in November 2019.160 On 28 November 2019, the Supreme Courtof Pakistan granted a six-month extension after initially blocking the government's decision to extend
the tenure of General Bajwa.161 On 7 January 2020, the National Assembly passed three bills ‘to set ahigher retirement age for the chiefs of the Pakistani army, navy and air force’.162
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)The ISI is one of several intelligence services in Pakistan. The ISI’s task is coordinating intelligence
between the branches of the military, collecting foreign and domestic intelligence, and conducting
covert offensive operations.163 In June 2019, the Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported that LieutenantGeneral Faiz Hameed replaced Lieutenant-General Asim Munir as the new head of the ISI.164
According to Hein Kiessling, a political scientist and historian, the ISI reportedly has close ties with anumber of extremist Islamist groups.165 In the 1990s, the ISI established close relationships with

153 Global Fire Power, Pakistan Military Strength (2020), n.d, url
154 Global Fire Power, ‘Pakistan Military Strength (2020) - Manpower, n.d., url
155 IISS, The Military Balance 2018, 14 February 2018, url, p. 291
156 Reuters, Factbox - Pakistan, India troop strength and weapons, 19 February 2019, url; IISS, The Military Balance 2018, 14

February 2018, url, p. 291
157 Reuters, Factbox - Pakistan, India troop strength and weapons, 19 February 2019, url; IISS, The Military Balance 2018, 14
February 2018, url, p. 291
158 US Department of Labor, 2018 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor: Pakistan, 27 December 2018, url, p. 4
159 New York Times (The), Pakistan Army ‘Has Greatly Increased Its Clout’ Under New Chief, 28 January 2018, url
160 Brookings, The curious case of the Pakistani army chief’s extension, 4 December 2019, url
161 Al Jazeera, Pakistan's top court grants extension to army chief's tenure 28 November 2019, url
162 Al Jazeera, Pakistan passes bill legalising extensions for military chiefs, 8 January 2020, url
163 Global Security, ISI Organization, 15 December 2016, url
164 Dawn, Faiz made ISI chief in military shake-up, 17 June 2019, url
165 Kiessling, H., Faith, Unity, Discipline The Inter-Service-Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan, October 2016, pp. 1-1125

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situationgroups such as Lashkar-e Taiba (LeT)166 and JeM to put pressure on India.167 The US has accused the
ISI of supporting groups such as the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani Network and Pakistani jihadist groups
allied with al-Qaeda.168 The Diplomat stated in October 2018 that former ISI chief Amrullah Salah
mentioned that the ISI supports ‘terrorist groups’.169 An April 2020 article published by Al Jazeera
stated that ‘international rights groups such as Amnesty International have repeatedly accused the ISI
of using its surveillance programmes to abduct rights activists alongside legitimate security targets.’170
The Frontier Corps (FC)The Frontier Corps (FC) is an auxiliary paramilitary force, formally under the authority of the Interior
Ministry.171 According to the US Department of State (USDOS), the Frontier Corps ‘reports to theInterior Ministry in peacetime and to the Pakistan army in times of conflict’.172 Their strength is around70 000.173 There are two major subdivisions, one stationed in KP and one stationed in the province of
Balochistan. The FC helps local law enforcement to maintain law and order, to provide assistance withborder control and fight against organised crime.174
Levies and Khassadars
Following the integration of FATA into KP, ‘the police began to operate alongside paramilitary forcesin the former FATA. Paramilitary forces present in the former FATA included the Frontier Corps, theFrontier Constabulary, Khassadars (hereditary tribal police), and the FATA Levies Force, which
reported to deputy commissioners (the appointed administrative heads of each tribal agency).’175 In
April 2019, the provincial government of KP announced the merger of former FATA Levies andKhassadar forces into KP police.176 At the end of June 2020, the integration process of the Levies andKhassadar forces was for 90 % completed according to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of
Police (IGP) Sanaullah Abbasi.177 In December 2019, the Express Tribune stated that in the province of
Balochistan the strength of the Levies is 30 000. The provincial government in Balochistan is in theprocess of modernising the Levies Force. Several wings of the Levies Force were created, including a
CPEC wing, a Quick Reaction Force and an investigation wing.178
The Rangers
The Rangers are a paramilitary force under the authority of the Interior Ministry. There are two major
subdivisions: the Punjabi Rangers headquartered in Lahore and the Sindh Rangers headquartered in
Karachi. The Rangers help local law enforcement, provide border security and fight smuggling.
According to a March 2016 publication of the government of Pakistan, their total strength is about
23 515 personnel in Punjab and 27 778 in Sindh.179 No recent figures could be found in the reference
period of this report. In April 2020, the Sindh government decided to prolong ‘the special policing
166 BBC News, Hafiz Saeed: Will Pakistan's 'terror cleric' stay in jail?, 13 February 2020, url
167 Kiessling, H., Faith, Unity, Discipline The Inter-Service-Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan, October 2016, pp. 1-11
168 Reuters, Mattis says will try to work with Pakistan 'one more time', 3 October 2017, url; Al Jazeera, Pakistan appoints newhead of powerful intelligence agency, 10 October 2018, url
169 Diplomat (The), Why Pakistan Isn’t Changing Its Taliban Policy, 25 October 2018, url
170 Al Jazeera, Pakistan using intelligence services to track coronavirus cases, 24 April 2020, url
171 IISS, The Military Balance 2018, 14 February 2018, url, p. 294
172 USDOS, Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2019 - Pakistan, 11 March 2020, url, p. 1
173 IISS, The Military Balance 2018, 14 February 2018, url, p. 294
174 Jaffrelot, C., Pakistan at the Crossroads Domestic Dynamics and External Pressures, April 2016, pp. 140-141; USDOS,
Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2019 - Pakistan, 11 March 2020, url, p. 1
175 USDOS, Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2018 - Pakistan, 13 March 2019, url, p. 9
176 Nation (The), Khasadar, Levies forces merged into KP police, 9 April 2019, url
177 TNN, 90% process of integrating Levies, Khassadars into KP Police completed: IGP, 30 June 2020, url
178 Express Tribune (The), Govt modernising Levies force, 22 December 2019, url
179 National Commission for Government Reforms Prime Minister’s office Government of Pakistan, A functional and legal
classification of Corporations, autonomous bodies and attached departments under the federal government, March 2016,
url, p. 69

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

powers’180 of the Rangers in Sindh, extending by three months their deployment and mandate in
Karachi.181
The Pakistani police
The Pakistani police, as a primary domestic security force, is responsible for most parts of the country.
USDOS reported that the local police are under the jurisdiction of provincial governments.182 Policing
is a provincial subject: each of the federating units has its own police force.183 According to USIP, thePakistani police is underfunded, and has shortfalls in facilities and equipment. They are facing thedifficult task of fighting rising crime.184 The police is perceived as ‘inefficient, corrupt, brutal,
unprofessional and politicised’.185 In July 2019, Dawn stated that instead of structural reforms such as
capacity building and financing, the focus has been on increasing the force’s numerical strength.186
Pro-government militia
Tribal militias (so-called Lashkars) emerged in 2008 in the tribal belt. The Pakistani military counted
on the tribal militias ‘to work as localized forces’ and to help fight the Taliban in the tribal area in2008.187 In May 2016, according to Dawn, the provincial government of KP decided to discontinue
their financing.188

1.2.2 Armed groups
Cyril Almeida, former assistant editor and journalist of Dawn newspaper stated in his presentation
during a workshop organised by EASO in October 2017, that armed groups in Pakistan can broadly be
divided into five major groups:•

Anti-Pakistan militants: groups that have taken up arms against the state and carry out
attacks inside Pakistan. The main group is the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP);•

India-centric militants: main examples are LeT and JeM;•

Afghan-centric militants: mostly Pashtun militants with bases on Pakistani territory such as
the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network;•

Sectarian groups: examples are the Punjabi Taliban, Sipah-e Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), andLashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ);•

Foreign groups: al-Qaeda, the Arab militants, the Uzbeks and the Chechens are examples offoreign groups. According to Cyril Almeida, the numbers of foreign groups are rather small.189

A January 2019 report by RSIS stated that ‘one of the key characteristics of Pakistan’s terrorist
landscape is that it is not static and evolves in the short-term – with shifting allegiances, emergenceof decentralised networks and cells.’190 Further, the RSIS report mentioned that the militant groups
are ‘continuously evolving and reviving in a changing security environment’. They try ‘to consolidate
180 Daily Times, Rangers’ special powers extended by another 90 days in Karachi, 5 May 2020, url
181 Dawn, Rangers' powers in Karachi extended for 90 more days, 6 April 2020, url
182 USDOS, Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2019 - Pakistan, 11 March 2020, url, p. 1
183 Daily Times, Police service-challenges and reforms, 6 October 2018, url; HRCP and FIDH, Punished for being vulnerable;

How Pakistan executes the poorest and the most marginalized in society, 8 October 2019, url, p. 9
184 USIP, A Counterterrorism Role for Pakistan’s Police Stations, 18 August 2014, url, pp. 3-4
185 Dawn, Sisyphean task, 21 July 2019, url; International News (The), Inefficiency, corruption smears police department, 12
March 2018, url; International News (The), Inefficiency and corruption blotch police, 17 June 2019, url
186 Dawn, Sisyphean task, 21 July 2019, url
187 New York Times (The), Pakistan Uses Tribal Militias in Taliban War, 23 October 2008, url; USDOS, Country Report on
Human Rights Practices 2018 - Pakistan, 13 March 2019, url, p. 8
188 Dawn, Death by lashkar: The forgotten protectors of Adezai village, 9 May 2016, url
189 Almeida, C., EASO, COI Meeting Report: Pakistan; 16-17 October 2017, Rome, February 2018, url, pp. 22-23
190 RSIS, Annual Threat Assessment-South Asia, January 2019, url, p. 52

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

their operational strengths, as they compete with each other, and face counterterrorism
operations’.191
The main armed groups in Pakistan are described in detail below.
Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP)The TTP (also called Pakistani Taliban) was founded in 2007 by Baitullah Mehsud, who was killed in2009 by a US drone strike. The initial objectives of the organisation were the implementation of Sharia
law, the ousting of coalition forces from Afghanistan and a ‘defensive jihad against Pakistani security
forces’.192 The group was banned in August 2008 by the government of Pakistan.193 The term Pakistani
Taliban was also used to describe various groups.194 The TTP is an umbrella organisation that wasformed out of about 13 distinct Pakistani Taliban factions.195 In 2013, the nomination of hardliner
Mullah Fazlullah as successor for B. Mehsud was considered a rejection of possible peace talks with
the Pakistani authorities.196
Military operations during 2011-2015 eliminated the strongholds of the TTP in the former FATA. Under
the strain of military operations in North Waziristan in 2014, the rise of ISKP and tensions within thegroup over the leadership of Fazlullah, the TTP split into different factions.197 The TTP is a Pakistanand Afghanistan-based terrorist organisation and operates in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.198
In June 2018, the TTP confirmed that TTP leader Mullah Fazlullah was killed by a US drone strike in theprovince of Kunar in Afghanistan.199 The TTP appointed Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud as the new ‘emir’ or
TTP leader. According to analyst and managing editor of the Long War Journal (LWJ) Bill Roggio, theleadership of the TTP hereby returned to the Mehsud tribe in its home base of North and South
Waziristan.200 Mufti Hazratullah was named deputy emir.201 In September 2018, the TTP released aredefined code of conduct to outline internal procedures, tactics and efforts to seek unification of thedifferent factions.202 An expert on terrorism in Pakistan, Farhan Zahid, stated in April 2019 that thechallenges for Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud are to reunite various TTP factions and to establish his
authority over them while re-establishing TTP’s organisational infrastructure in Pakistan.203 Different
sources indicated that the TTP was going through a resurgence and becoming operationally active
again.204 In the first half of 2018 and especially in the run-up to the general elections, the TTP claimed
responsibility for two attacks in July 2018. According to the source, this indicated the operational
strength of the TTP.205 A breakaway group of the TTP was also active in South Waziristan where they
were organised in one of the peace committees.206 The 2019 annual security report of PIPS stated that

191 RSIS, Annual Threat Assessment-South Asia, January 2019, url, pp. 52-53
192 RSIS, Annual Threat Assessment-South Asia, January 2019, url, pp. 52-53
193 Stanford University, Mapping Militant Organizations. "TTP.", last updated: July 2018, url
194 IPCS, Pakistan’s Militant Groups in 2015, January 2015, url, p. 4
195 Jeffery, F., Documenting: Jihadist groups operating in Afghanistan, Aurora Intel, 2 June 2019, url
196 Guardian (The), Pakistani Taliban select hardliner Mullah Fazlullah as new leader, 8 November 2013, url
197 Jaffrelot, C., The Pakistan Paradox: Instability and Resilience, April 2015, p. 212; Jeffery, F., Documenting: Jihadist groups

operating in Afghanistan, Aurora Intel, 2 June 2019, url
198 USDOS, Country Report on Terrorism 2019, 24 June 2020, url, pp. 300-301
199 Dawn, TTP chief targeted in Afghan drone strike: US, 15 June 2018, url; LWJ, Pakistani Taliban appoints new emir after
confirming death of Mullah Fazlullah, 23 June 2018, url
200 LWJ, Pakistani Taliban appoints new emir after confirming death of Mullah Fazlullah, 23 June 2018, url
201 Jamestown Foundation (The), Pakistani Taliban: Mullah Fazlullah’s Death Revives Mehsud Clan Fortunes, 13 July 2018, url
202 Ur Rehman, Z., Pakistani Taliban: Between infighting, government crackdowns and Daesh, TRT World, 18 April 2019, url;
RSIS, Annual Threat Assessment-South Asia, January 2019, Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, url, p. 53; Refslund
Hamming, T., Jihadists' Code of Conduct in the Era of ISIS, Middle East Institute, 29 April 2019, url
203 Zahid, F., Profile of New TTP Chief Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud: Challenges and Implications, 15 April 2019, PIPS, url
204 RSIS, Annual Threat Assessment-South Asia, Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, January 2019, url, p. 53; Baloch, H.,
TTP’s Ambush on Pakistan Army, The Beginning of a Resurgence?, ITCT, 28 September 2018, url
205 RSIS, Annual Threat Assessment-South Asia, Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, January 2019, url, p. 53
206 Kanwal Sheikh, M., New conflict lines in Pakistan’s tribal areas, 6 July 2018, url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

the group is ‘apparently also struggling to come back to its traditional hub in South and North
Waziristan’.207 The TTP tried ‘to re-cultivate its support base in these areas of KP’.208 In September
2019, the US Department of State included Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud in its Specially Designated Global
Terrorist list.209 In February 2020, the TTP has suffered some losses. Some senior TTP leaders were
killed in Afghanistan.210 On 16 July 2020, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) added emir Mufti
Noor Wali Mehsud to its list of terrorist leaders and operatives who associated with al-Qaeda.211 In
July 2020, the TTP announced that the Hakimullah Mehsud group returned to the TTP.212 In August
2020, the splinter groups JuA and HuA rejoined the TTP.213
Referring to a 2019 USDOD report, security analyst Faran Jeffery, reported that the TTP consists of an
estimated number of 3 000 to 5 000 active militants in Afghanistan. While holding sanctuaries acrossthe border in eastern Afghanistan, the TTP has ‘some sleeper cells and sympathizers left in Pakistan’.214
Afghanistan is the base of operations but the group is generally not conducting attacks in Afghanistan.
The TTP focuses on fighting the Pakistani government.215 According to a May 2020 report by the UNSC,
the TTP is ‘thought to have approximately 500 fighters in Kunar and about 180 in Nangarhar’. The TTP
holds a presence in the Lal Pura district, near the border area of Mohmand Darah, Pakistan.216 A July
2020 report by the UNSC stated that between 6 000 and 6 500 Pakistani insurgents are hiding in
Afghanistan, most of them belonging the TTP. The report mentioned that the TTP has linked up with
the Afghan-based affiliate of Islamic State. Some of the former TTP’s members joined the IS affiliate
according to the UNSC.217 The annual report of 2019, published in January 2020, by PICSS cited sources
claiming that the TTP shifted its operational command from Kunar province to the area adjacent toWaziristan.218 The LWJ stated that ‘over the past year, the TTP began to assert itself in its traditional
stronghold of South Waziristan.’219 In June 2020, Dawn reported that the Awami National Party (ANP)
accused local tribal leaders in South Waziristan of ‘handing over responsibility to maintain peace‘ tothe local Taliban.220
In 2019, according to PIPS, the TTP was involved in 82 ‘terrorist attacks’, compared to 79 in 2018.221
These attacks were concentrated in KP and Balochistan in 2019.222 Asad Hashim stated in July 2020
about the TTP that ‘the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remains a threat to security, mainly in northwestern KP province and Punjab province.’223 LWJ stated in July 2020 that fighting between the TTP

207 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 69
208 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 69
209 USDOS, Terrorist Designations under Amended Executive Order to Modernize Sanctions to Combat Terrorism, 10

September 2019, url
210 Dawn, TTP confirms killing of key member, aide in Afghanistan, 9 February 2020, url; Dawn, Senior TTP leader killed in
Kunar bomb blast, 14 February 2020, url
211 UNSC, Noor Wali Mehsud, 16 July 2020, url
212 Diplomat (The), The Resurgence of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, 18 July 2020, url
213 Al Jazeera, Pakistan Taliban reunites with two splinter groups, 18 August 2020, url
214 Jeffery, F., Documenting: Jihadist groups operating in Afghanistan, Aurora Intel, 2 June 2019, url
215 USDOD, Operation Freedom’s Sentinel Lead Inspector General report to the United States Congress January 1, 2019March 31, 2019, 5 August 2019, url, p. 24
216 UNSC, Letter dated 19 May 2020 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution
1988 (2011) addressed to the President of the Security Council, 27 May 2020, url, p. 20
217 UNSC, Letter dated 16 July 2020 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999),
1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals,
groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security Council, 23 July 2020, url, p. 16
218 PICSS, 2019 Annual Security Assessment Report, 9 January 2020, url, p. 30
219 LWJ, UN sanctions emir of the Pakistani Taliban, 17 July 2020, url
220 Dawn, ANP plans legal action against tribal elders of South Waziristan, 5 June 2020, url
221 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 74; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url,
p. 68
222 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 68
223 Hashim, A., email, 6 July 202029

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situationand the Pakistani military intensified in North Waziristan and were concentrated around the TTP
strongholds in Datta Khel and Miramshah.224
Jamaat-ul Ahrar (JuA)
The JuA is a faction of the TTP but operates with a degree of autonomy.225 In the summer of 2014, the
JuA split from the TTP.226 In March 2015, the group re-joined the TTP but released its own statements
on attacks.227 The Diplomat reported in March 2017 that the group is operating from Lalpur in
Nangarhar province in Afghanistan.228 The US government estimated that approximately 200 JuA
militants were present in Afghanistan.229
The leadership of JuA reportedly had ties to al-Qaeda and its emir, Ayman al Zawahiri.230 In 2017, JuA
was led by Omar Khalid al Khurasani, a Taliban commander from Mohmand Agency. A spokesperson
for the group revealed that Khurasani was killed in October 2017 in a US drone strike in Afghanistan.231
However, Khurasani reportedly released a statement, just days after his presumed death. The US also
did not confirm his death.232 In August 2020, JuA rejoined the TTP.233
In August 2016, USDOS added the group to its list of global terrorists organisations.234 In July 2017,
JuA was listed as a terrorist group by the UNSC.235 In February 2017, JuA announced its strategy for2017 and named their action plan Operation Ghazi.236 The group encountered internal rivalry and afaction led by former spokesperson Mukarram formed a separate group called HuA in
November 2017.237 Different sources stated that since then the JuA is losing operational strength andhuman resources.238 According to PIPS the weak organisational structure is due to internal rivalry andthe loss of important commanders to the security forces and the TTP.239 The main targets of the groupwere military and law enforcement personnel, government buildings, politicians, minority groups andlawyers.240 PIPS documented that in 2019, the JuA was involved in 1 ‘terrorist attack’ compared to 15
in 2018.241 This single attack by JuA in 2019 was reported from KP province.242
Hizbul Ahrar (HuA)
Hizbul Ahrar is a breakaway faction of the JuA. In November 2017, Mukkaram Khan announced theformation of HuA in a video message.243 Mukkaram Khan is a commander originating from Mohmand

224 LWJ, UN sanctions emir of the Pakistani Taliban, 17 July 2020, url
225 LWJ, Mehsud faction rejoins the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, 4 February 2017, url
226 LWJ, Taliban splinter group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar forms in northwestern Pakistan, 26 August 2014, url; Nation (The), Ex-TTP

spokesman surrender a major breakthrough, 18 April 2017, url
227 Roggio, B. and Weiss, C., Pakistani Taliban faction showcases training camp, suicide attacks, 2 February 2017, url
228 Diplomat (The), Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the 'Good Taliban', 10 March 2017, url
229 USDOD, Operation Freedom’s Sentinel Lead Inspector General report to the United States Congress January 1, 2019March 31, 2019, 5 August 2019, url, p. 25
230 Roggio, B. and Weiss, C., Pakistani Taliban faction showcases training camp, suicide attacks, 2 February 2017, url
231 Express Tribune (The), Khorasani confirmed dead in US drone strike, 19 October 2017, url
232 LWJ, Leader of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar emerges after reports of his death, 22 October 2017, url
233 Al Jazeera, Pakistan Taliban reunites with two splinter groups, 18 August 2020, url
234 USDOS, State Department Terrorist Designations and State sponsers of terrorism, 19 May 2019, url
235 Dawn, Pakistan welcomes UNSC sanctions on Jamaatul Ahrar, 7 July 2017, url
236 FRC, Strategic Code of Conduct for “Operation Ghazi”, 16 February 2017, url
237 Dawn, Taliban splinter group splits further, 13 November 2017, url
238 RSIS, Annual Threat Assessment-South Asia, January 2019, Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, url, p. 54; PIPS, Pakistan
Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 74; PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2018, 19 April 2019, url, pp. 2324
239 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 69
240 Dawn, Pakistan welcomes UNSC sanctions on Jamaatul Ahrar, 7 July 2017, url
241 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 74; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url,
p. 69
242 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 68
243 Dawn, Taliban splinter group splits further, 13 November 2017, url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

tribal district. This group is orientated against the US and its allies.244 In April 2018, HuA announced
Operation Ibne Qasim245, directed against the Pakistani security forces while promising not to harm
civilians, according to Farhan Jeffery on Twitter in April 2018.246 In September 2018, the Counter
Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed that it had neutralised a network of HuA.247 In February 2019,
HuA announced an operation against the Pakistani security forces named Operation Shamzai.248 In
January 2020, HuA announced a new operation named Operation Haqqani.249
In August 2019, HuA was banned in Pakistan under Section 11-B of Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act.250 In
an article of December 2019 expert Animesh Roul stated that HuA carried out ‘targeted attacks inregular intervals’. In 2019, the HuA killed several Pakistani soldiers and police officers in targeted
attacks.251 Roul stated further that ‘one of the core strengths of HuA remains its cross-border presence
and ability to launch attacks on Pakistani forces from Afghan soil by employing suicide bombers andhit and run tactics.’252 In February 2020, BBC News reported that the Afghan forces conducted a raidon HuA in the province of Nangarhar in Afghanistan. The fact that the Afghan forces attacked HuA
caused disbelief by members of HuA because they never carried out attacks in Afghanistan.253 In
August 2020, HuA rejoined the TTP.254
According to PIPS, in 2019 the group was involved in 14 ‘terrorist attacks’ and claimed responsibilityof 1 attack in Balochistan, 3 attacks each in Punjab and 10 in KP province.255 In January 2020, HuA
claimed a bomb blast that hit a paramilitary force vehicle.256 According to Gandhara, HuA claimed
responsibility for an attack on two police officers in Islamabad at the end of May 2020.257
The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU)
The original aim of IMU is to overthrow the Uzbek government258 The IMU has been active in the
Pakistani tribal region since late 2001, where it regrouped after sustaining heavy losses fighting
alongside the Taliban during the US invasion of Afghanistan. Under the leadership of Toher Yuldash
the group targeted the Pakistani security forces from its bases in North and South Waziristan. Since
2007, the IMU formed an alliance with the TTP and fought alongside them. In 2009, Yuldashev was
killed in a drone attack. Pakistan’s military operations forced the IMU to flee to North Waziristan
where it started to cooperate with the Haqqani Network. Osman Odil became the new leader of theorganisation in 2010. In 2015, a radical splinter group of IMU - the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) - tried toexport terrorism from its Pakistan base.259 On 8 June 2014, IMU militants staged a major attack on
Karachi Airport.260 The Pakistani army subsequently made it a priority to eradicate the group. Most ofits militants fled to Afghanistan.261 At the end of March 2015, the IMU reportedly pledged allegiance

244 Pakistan Today, Hizbul Ahrar takes birth as internal rifts tear Jamaatul Ahrar apart, 13 November 2017, url
245 ITCT, Hizbul Ahrar, n.d., url
246 FJ [Twitter], posted on: 24 April 2018, url
247 Dawn, CTD Punjab ‘breaks’ TTP, Hizbul Ahrar network, 18 September 2018, url
248 Jeffery, F., Documenting: Jihadist groups operating in Afghanistan, Aurora Intel, 2 June 2019, url
249 PICSS, 2019 Annual Security Assessment Report, 9 January 2020, url, p. 32
250 Dawn, Nacta slaps ban on two more organisations, 23 August 2019, url
251 Roul, A., Hizb ul-Ahrar: Pakistan’s Cross-border Taliban Problem Remains Critical, 17 December 2019, Terrorism Monitor,

volume 17, issue 23, url
252 Roul, A., Hizb ul-Ahrar: Pakistan’s Cross-border Taliban Problem Remains Critical, 17 December 2019, Terrorism Monitor,
volume 17, issue 23, url
253 BBC News, Crackdown on militants as US and Afghan Taliban seek deal, 15 February 2020, url
254 Al Jazeera, Pakistan Taliban reunites with two splinter groups, 18 August 2020, url
255 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 69
256 RFE/RL, Pakistan Mosque Blast Kills 15, Including Senior Police Officer, 10 January 2020, url
257 Gandhara, Suspected Militants Kill Two Pakistani Policemen In Islamabad, 27 May 2020, url
258 RFE/RL, What Next For The Islamic Movement Of Uzbekistan?, 23 August 2015, url
259 RFE/RL, What Next For The Islamic Movement Of Uzbekistan?, 23 August 2015, url
260 BBC News, Karachi airport: Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan claims attack, 11 June 2014, url
261 RFE/RL, What Next For The Islamic Movement Of Uzbekistan?, 23 August 2015, url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

to ISKP.262 ‘However, some elements within IMU retained the name of the group along with its alliancewith al-Qaeda, the Afghan Taliban and the TTP. Remnants of IMU continue to fight alongside the
Taliban in Afghanistan.’263 A June 2020 report of USDOS mentioned that exact numbers of IMU’s
strength are unknown.264 In July 2020, a brief in Terrorism Monitor stated that the IMU ‘is largely
defunct and the relationship with the Taliban has been severely damaged by defections to IS-K[ …]’.265
Al-Qaeda
Following the US invasion of Afghanistan, many al-Qaeda operatives withdrew to the Pakistani tribal
regions. By 2008, they were so deeply entrenched in Waziristan that, according to American
intelligence officials, the area had become al-Qaeda’s ‘international operations hub’.266 Among theirranks were also Arabs, Uzbeks, Chechens and Chinese Muslims.267
In former FATA, al-Qaeda had aligned itself with several militant groups, offering support withmanpower, training and propaganda. It also attacked the government of Pakistan, which was viewed
as apostate for allying itself with the US-led war on terrorism. Al-Qaeda in Waziristan attempted todevelop privileged relations with the IJU.268 According to Farhan Zahid, al-Qaeda has suffered losses
and setbacks. In August 2017, al-Qaeda was attempting to resurrect itself in Pakistan, possibly withthe help of the Jamaat-ul Ansar al-Sharia.269 According to an article published by Combating Terrorism
Center in September 2017, the presence of al-Qaeda in Karachi ‘appears to have grown in recent
years’.270 According to PIPS, Pakistani officials consider al-Qaeda still as a potential threat.271 In
October 2019, Dawn cited the CTD in Karachi, who claimed that al-Qaeda was regrouping in Karachi
and trying to activate their sleeper cells.272 In December 2019, the CTD Punjab arrested five members
and closed down a media cell of al-Qaeda in Gujranwala.273 In April 2020, four members of al-Qaeda
were arrested in Karachi. According to an article of Dawn, this indicates that the group still has apresence and that law enforcement agencies have to be vigilant.274
According to PIPS, al-Qaeda was not attributed any ‘terrorist attack’ in 2019 in Pakistan.275
Jamaat-ul Ansar Al-Sharia
Jamaat-ul Ansar Al-Sharia is believed to be an umbrella organisation of Islamist terrorist organisations
endeavouring to converge into a platform to reintroduce al-Qaeda and restart armed activities under
its banner.276 It emerged in Pakistan in April 2017. The mastermind of the group is allegedly Abdul
Karim Saroush Siddiqui and militants are educated with sound technical knowledge of the media. A
security official, cited in Dawn, stated that the exact date of the formation of this group was still not
known though it was initially believed that ‘the genesis of the group could be traced to Pakistanis
fighting in Syria.’ This group is believed to operate in urban centres, particularly Karachi. The same

262 Stanford University, Mapping Militant Organizations, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, last updated August 2018, url
263 Jeffery, F., Documenting: Jihadist groups operating in Afghanistan, Aurora Intel, 2 June 2019, url
264 USDOS, Country Report on Terrorism 2019, 24 June 2020, url, p. 264
265 Perkins, M.B., What Will Come of Uzbek and Central Asian Militant Groups Fighting Alongside the Taliban?, 28 July 2020,

Terrorism Monitor, volume: 18, issue: 15, url
266 Guardian (The), Waziristan: the hub of al-Qaida operations, 7 January 2008, url; Rashid, A., Descent into Chaos, 2008, pp.
268-269
267 Reuters Alertnet, Analysis - The ties that kill: Pakistan militant groups uniting, 30 May 2010, url
268 CSIS, Religion and militancy in Pakistan and Afghanistan, 29 June 2012, url, pp. 67-68
269 Zahid, F., The Return of Al-Qaeda to Pakistan, Middle East Institute, 24 August 2017, url
270 Combating Terrorism Center, Al-Qa`ida in Pakistan: A Metric Problem?, September 2017, url
271 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 71
272 Dawn, CTD says splinter group of outlawed AQIS regrouping in Karachi, 15 October 2019, url
273 Dawn, Militant outfit’s media cell in Gujranwala busted, 27 December 2019, url
274 Dawn, AQIS cell busted, 21 April 2020, url
275 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 71
276 Zahid, F., Jamaat ul Ansar al-Sharia: The New al-Qaeda Threat in Pakistan Publication, Terrorism Monitor Volume: 15
Issue: 18, 22 September 2017, url; Zahid, F., The Return of Al-Qaeda to Pakistan, Middle East Institute, 24 August 2017, url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

article mentioned that the group had basically been neutralised in a wave of arrests in September
2017.277
PIPS did not attribute any attack to this group in the 2019 annual security report.278 No further
information could be found about the Jamaat-ul Ansar Al-Sharia in Pakistan during the reference
period.
The Punjabi Taliban‘The Punjabi Taliban network is a loose conglomeration of members of banned militant groups of
Punjabi origin’, mostly sectarian and previously Kashmir insurgency focused, who have developed
strong links with the TTP. The major factions of this network include operatives from LeJ, Sipah-eSahaba Pakistan (SSP) and JeM and their splinter groups (for details on these groups, see theirseparate sections in this chapter).279 In 2014, the TTP Punjab chapter was led by Maulana Asmatullah
Muawiya.280 In September 2014, Muawiya first intended to shift his militant activities from Pakistan
to Afghanistan, and then some days later announced he would give up armed struggle in Pakistan
entirely and use peaceful means instead.281 In April 2016, it was reported that the Punjabi Taliban wasconsidered weakened and scattered.282 No further information could be found about the Punjabi
Taliban in Pakistan during the reference period.
Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP)The first reports about ISKP (also called ISIS, ISIL, IS, or Daesh) appearing in Pakistan date back to thebeginning of 2015.283 IS envisaged global expansion of the caliphate and designated the region of
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and the Central Asian republics Wilayat Khorasan (ISKP – Islamic State
Khorasan Province).284 In May 2019, Islamic State announced Wilayat Pakistan (Islamic State Pakistan
Province, ISPP)285 after claiming multiple attacks in the province of Balochistan.286 A former TTP
commander from Karachi, Daud Mehsud, has appointed as ‘emir’ of ISPP.287 Antonio Giustozzi, an
independent researcher and a visiting professor at King’s College London, stated in February 2016 that
ISKP had an estimated 2 000 to 3 000 members in Pakistan, including ‘fighters and support
elements’.288 Different militant groups such as Tehrik-e-Khilafat Pakistan, the Shahidullah ShahidGroup of TTP, Jundullah and IMU pledged allegiance to the leader of IS, al-Baghdadi.289 The group hasstrong alliances with anti-Shia Sunni militant groups.290
Farhan Zahid stated that ISKP had managed to increase its influence by forming ‘tactical alliances’ withsimilar local militant groups. ISKP asserted its dominance through local affiliates in urban centres of

277 Dawn, The rise and ‘fall’ of Ansarul Sharia Pakistan, 9 September 2017, url
278 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020 url
279 Abbas, H., Defining the Punjabi Taliban Network, 15 April 2009, url
280 Ur Rehman, Z., Pakistani Taliban: Between infighting, government crackdowns and Daesh, TRT World, 18 April 2019, url
281 Dawn, Punjabi Taliban call off armed struggle in Pakistan, 13 September 2014, url; Dawn, Punjabi Taliban give up ‘armed

struggle’, 14 September 2014, url
282 International News (The), Who are Punjabi Taliban?, 24 April 2016, url
283 Henry Jackson Society (The), ISIS Khorasan: Presence and potential in the Afghanistan Pakistan- region, October 2017, url,
pp. 4-7; USIP, The Islamic State in Pakistan, 21 September 2016, url
284 Jamestown Foundation, Islamic State in Afghanistan Ready to Capitalize on Mullah Omar’s Death, 3 September 2015, url
285 Throughout this report reference is made to ISKP
286 Jeffery, F., What Does Islamic State's Wilayat al-Hind & Wilayat Pakistan Mean?, ITCT, 20 May 2019, url
287 RSIS, Annual Threat Assessment-South Asia, January 2020, Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, url, p. 58
288 Giustozzi, A., The Islamic State in ‘Khorasan’: A Nuanced View, RUSSI commentary, 5 February 2016, url
289 Jamestown Foundation (The), ‘Growing Evidence of Islamic State in Pakistan’, 4 February 2016, url; Diplomat (The), The
Islamic State Threat Is Real in Pakistan, 18 February 2016, url
290 RSIS, Annual Threat Assessment-South Asia, January 2020, Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, url, p. 58; Basit, A., The
US-Taliban Deal and Expected US Exit from Afghanistan: Impact on South Asian Militant Landscape, June 2020, Counter
Terrorist Trends and Analyses, volume 12, issue 4, url, p. 13

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Pakistan.291 Different sources reported that ISKP in 2016- 2017 had recruitment networks in several
major urban regions such as Peshawar and Karachi.292 In a report of May 2019 by Huzaifa Baloch, awriter on security issues, it is stated that ISKP has ex-TTP commanders within its ranks and this makes
it easy for this group to carry out attacks in Pakistan.293
According to a January 2020 report by RSIS, ISKP has ‘primarily’ a presence in the province of
Balochistan.294 According to PIPS 2019 annual security situation report, law enforcement agencies
conducted multiple operations in Balochistan against ISKP.295 In June 2019, the CTD of Punjab killed
two ISKP militants and closed ‘a big chapter’ of ISKP in the province.296 In May 2020, four members
linked to an ISKP group were killed in Bahawalpur in the province of Punjab.297
PIPS documented that ISKP was responsible for one ‘terrorist attack’ in 2019, compared to five in
2018.298 In the past two years, ISKP claimed some of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan299, including theattack on the Mastung election rally which killed more than 130 people and injured 300 in July 2018.300
ISKP claimed a series of deadly attacks in Balochistan in May 2019.301
Haqqani Network
The Haqqani network is an insurgent group that was formed in the late 1980s.302 Afghan warlord
Jalaluddin Haqqani founded the Haqqani Network.303 In September 2018, Jalaluddin Haqqani
reportedly died aged 71.304 In July 2015, Sirajuddin Haqqani was appointed as one of two deputy headsof the Afghan Taliban.305 The group’s leadership historically maintained a power base aroundPakistan’s tribal areas.306 According to a USDOD report of May 2020:‘The DIA also told the DoD OIG that Pakistan continues to harbor the Taliban and associatedmilitant groups in Pakistan, such as the Haqqani Network, which maintains the ability to
conduct attacks against Afghan interests.’307
It was reported in 2017 that the Haqqani Network also had a long-standing relationship with the ISI,
which led to frictions between Pakistan and the US.308 The Haqqani network was also believed to haveties with al-Qaeda.309 A United States general stated in November 2014 that ongoing Pakistani military

291 Zahid, F., ‘IS Footprint in Pakistan: Nature of Presence, Method of Recruitment, and Future Outlook’, Counter Terrorist

Trends and Analyses, Volume 9, Issue 5, May 2017, url
292 Jamestown Foundation (The), ‘Growing Evidence of Islamic State in Pakistan’, 4 February 2016, url; IRIN, Islamic Stateramps up recruitment in Pakistan, 11 January 2017, url; Wall Street Journal (The), Pakistan Frets Over Potential Appeal ofIslamic State, 23 February 2016, url; VoA, Islamic State Takes Root, Grows Along Afghan-Pakistan Border, 1 March 2017, url
293 Baloch, H., Peace Talks, ISKP and TTP--The Future in Question, ITCT, 6 May 2019, url
294 RSIS, Annual Threat Assessment-South Asia, January 2020, Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, url, p. 58
295 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, pp. 70-71
296 VoA, Pakistan Says it Struck a Blow Against Islamic State-Khorasan, 21 June 2019, url
297 AP, Pakistan kills 4 Islamic State-linked militants in shootout, 17 May 2020, url
298 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, pp. 75-76; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020,
url, p. 70
299 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2018, 19 April 2019, url, p. 25
300 Baloch, H., Peace Talks, ISKP and TTP--The Future in Question, ITCT, 6 May 2019, url
301 Jeffery, F., What Does Islamic State's Wilayat al-Hind & Wilayat Pakistan Mean?, ITCT, 20 May 2019, url; Express Tribune(The), Blast hits Hazara community’s shoe market in Quetta, 6 August 2019, url
302 USDOS Country Report on Terrorism 2019, 24 June 2020, url, p. 258
303 Deutsche Welle, Taliban: Haqqani network leader dead, 4 September 2018, url
304 AP News (Gannon, K.), Death of Afghan group’s founder unlikely to weaken militants, 4 September 2018, url
305 Ruttig, T., The New Taleban Deputy Leaders: Is there an obvious successor to Akhtar Mansur?, 10 February 2016, AAN,
url
306 VoA, What Is the Haqqani Network?, 1 June 2017, url; Economic Times (The), US asks Pakistan to act against Haqqani
network, other terror groups, 27 February 2018, url
307 USDOD, Lead Inspector General for Operation Freedom’s Sentinel I Quarterly Report to the United States Congress I
January 1, 2020 - March 31, 2020, 19 May 2020, url, p. 5
308 VoA, Haqqani Network Remains Primary Source of Pakistan-US Tensions, 29 November 2017, url
309 CSIS, Religion and militancy in Pakistan and Afghanistan, 29 June 2012, url, p. 63

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

operations in North Waziristan have ‘disrupted’ the military capabilities of the Haqqani Network.310
The group is active along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and across much of south-eastern
Afghanistan, particularly in Loya Paktia.311 The Haqqani Network relocated in 2014 from North
Waziristan to Kurram under pressure of these military operations.312 No information could be foundduring the reference period of attacks carried out by the Haqqani Network in Pakistan.
Sipah-e Sahaba Pakistan (SSP)
SSP is a former Deobandi political party founded in the early 1980s. Sunni cleric Maulana Haq Nawaz
Jhangvi founded Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, the militant wing of SSP in Jhang, Punjab.313 Its principal aim is tofight Shia influence in Pakistan.314 Jhangvi was assassinated in 1991315 and replaced by Maulana Azam
Tariq.316 Tariq was killed in 2003.317 In July 2005, Dawn identified Maulana Ali Sher Hyderi [Haideri] asa leader of the SSP.318 It was reported that the organisation had close ties with the Jihadi organisation
JeM and the TTP, and was a part of the Punjabi Taliban network. Several reports labelled SSP as aviolent group. At the beginning of the century, it was responsible for the murder of Shia militants,
ordinary Shia citizens and attacks on Shia mosques. Although the group denied involvement inviolence, former President Musharraf banned it in 2002.319 A part of SSP rebranded itself as Ah-le
Sunnat Wal Jama’at, which under the leadership of Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi became apolitical party.320
Other members left SSP to form Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ), which observers said was even more radical
than the SSP.321 Other extremist splinter groups of SSP include the Jhangvi Tigers, Al-Haq Tigers,
Tanzeem-ul Haq, Al-Farooq and the Al-Badr Foundation.322 The core of SSP supporters was made up
of Sunni peasantry in the rural Jhang, merchant and trader classes in the urban centres. The madrassas
were a major recruiting ground for SSP. The group’s cadres received jihadi training in Afghanistan. To
fund its organisation and activities, SSP relied on contributions from its supporters in the form ofzakat. Sunni business people contributed as well. Observers believed that SSP received considerable
financial and logistic backing from Saudi donors who wanted to curb Iran’s influence over the Shia
population in Pakistan.323 SSP reportedly had a political party; it also had a student wing, an insurancecompany, many offices in all districts of the Punjab and a nationwide network.324
Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ)
LeJ is a Deobandi militant group founded in 1996, when a number of militants led by Riaz Basra, Akram
Lahori and Malik Ishaq broke away from SSP Pakistan. LeJ is not a political party but a purely
paramilitary organisation.325 USDOS noted in September 2018 that LeJ was formed as the militant wing

310 Dawn, Operation Zarb-e-Azb disrupted Haqqani network; US general, 6 November 2014, url
311 USDOS, Country Report on Terrorism 2018,1 November 2019, url, p. 282
312 LWJ, US drones target jihadist ‘hideouts’ in Pakistan’s tribal areas, 22 February 2016, url
313 Nelson, M., EASO, EASO COI Meeting Report: Pakistan; 16-17 October 2017, Rome, February 2018, url, p. 30
314 Nelson, M., EASO, EASO COI Meeting Report: Pakistan; 16-17 October 2017, Rome, February 2018, url, p. 30
315 Jamestown Foundation (The), ‘Sipah-e-Sahaba: Fomenting Sectarian Violence in Pakistan’, 5 May 2005, url
316 Jamestown Foundation (The), ‘Sipah-e-Sahaba: Fomenting Sectarian Violence in Pakistan’, 5 May 2005, url
317 GEO News TV, Suspect in Maulana Azam Tariq's murder arrested from Islamabad airport, 11 May 2017, url
318 Dawn, Hunt intensified; 200 held: Prominent SSP leader arrested in Khairpur, 21 July 2005, url
319 Dawn, 2009: Southern Punjab extremism battle between haves and have-nots, 21 May 2011, url; NOREF, Sectarian

violence: Pakistan’s greatest security threat?, 9 August 2012, url; Rashid, A., Descent into Chaos, 2008, pp. 227-228;
Jamestown Foundation (The), ‘Sipah-e-Sahaba: Fomenting Sectarian Violence in Pakistan’, 5 May 2005, url; Abbas, H.,
Defining the Punjabi Taliban Network, 15 April 2009, url
320 Nelson, M., EASO, EASO COI Meeting Report: Pakistan; 16-17 October 2017, Rome, February 2018, url, p. 30
321 CSIS, Religion and militancy in Pakistan and Afghanistan, June 2012, url, p. 38
322 CSIS, Religion and militancy in Pakistan and Afghanistan, 29 June 2012, url, p. 38
323 CSIS, Religion and militancy in Pakistan and Afghanistan, 29 June 2012, url, p. 39
324 Hussain, Z., Frontline Pakistan, The struggle with militant Islam, 2007, p. 92
325 BBC News, Profile: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, 11 January 2013, url; Stanford University, Mapping Militant Organizations. “Lashkare-Jhangvi.”, last updated: August 2018, url

35

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situationof SSP to attack the Shia community and that it became independent when it gained more
proficiency.326 USDOS stated that LeJ ‘works closely’ together with the TTP.327 LeJ was openly
supported by the ISI, which used the group as a proxy in Afghanistan and India as well to counter Shia
militant groups in 2000 and 2001.328 LeJ was banned by the Pakistan government in 2001 and wasplaced on the US terrorist list in 2003.329 Its underground violent activities continued, especiallyagainst Shias and members of the Hazara community in Quetta.330
Although most of the violence used by LeJ targets Shias, the organisation also cultivated a radical
stance against Christians, Ahmadi and Sufi Muslims.331 A substantial number of the leadership of LeJ
have either been killed, including Malik Ishaq in 2015332, or captured in 2017, like Naeem
Bukhari.333 On 19 January 2017, LeJ’s commander Asif Chotu was killed in an encounter with law
enforcement agencies.334 In May 2018, security forces killed the commander of LeJ’s Balochistan
chapter Salman Badeni.335 According to PIPS, in 2018, LeJ had lost it operational strength.336
According to PIPS, LeJ was responsible for eight ‘terrorist attacks’ in 2019 in Pakistan, compared toseven of such attacks in 2018.337 Five of these attacks took place in Karachi and three in Balochistan.338
In its 2019 annual security report, PIPS mentioned that ‘several reports indicated that LeJ is once again
focusing on Karachi.’339
Lashkar-e Jhangvi Al-Alami (LJA)
Over the past decade, LeJ broke up in different factions as a result of the military operations of the
Pakistan state.340 One of those emerging factions is LeJ Al-Alami (LJA)341, designated by Pakistan as a‘terrorist organisation’ in November 2016.342 The main difference between LeJ and LJA is that LeJ only
targets minority groups whilst LJA also carries out attacks on law enforcement agencies andgovernment installations.343 The Jamestown Foundation reported in January 2017 that the group was
led by Yousaf Mansoor Khurasani.344 In 2019, PIPS did not mention any attack claimed by LJA.345
Lashkar-e Islam (LI)
LI is a militant group that is active in Khyber tribal district.346 A 2016 article of Afghanistan Analysts
Network (AAN) estimated the size of the group ‘at no fewer than 500 in the past three years’.347 The

326 USDOS, Country Report on Terrorism 2019, 24 June 2020, url, p. 282
327 USDOS, Country Report on Terrorism 2019, 24 June 2020, url, p. 282
328 Reuters, Special Report: Pakistan's threat within - the Sunni-Shia divide, 24 October 2012, url; National (The), Pakistanarrests 97 Al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militants, 12 February 2016, url; Guardian (The), Pakistan military intelligence
under fire for failing to prevent Quetta bombing, 18 February 2013, url
329 USDOS, Country Report on Terrorism 2019, 24 June 2020, url, p. 183
330 RFE/RL, Pakistan's Army Kills Commander Of Islamist Militant Group In Balochistan, 17 May 2018, url
331 LWJ, State designates leader of Lashkar-e-Jhanghvi as global terrorist, 6 February 2014, url
332 LWJ, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi emir killed in shootout with Pakistani police, 29 July 2015, url
333 Daily Times, LeJ leads international terrorist organisations in Pakistan, 10 March 2017, url
334 Express Tribune (The), Sheikhupura raid: LeJ chief Asif Chotu, three aides killed in gunfight, 19 January 2017, url
335 Nation (The), Security forces kill senior Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant in Balochistan raid, 17 May 2018, url
336 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 73
337 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 78; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url,
p. 71
338 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 71
339 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 71
340 RFE/RL, Pakistani Extremists Carve A Sanctuary In Southern Afghanistan, 23 January 2017, url
341 Jamestown Foundation (The), ‘Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami: A Pakistani Partner for Islamic State’, 27 January 2017, url
342 Daily Times, From sectarian to anti-state outfit, journey of al-Alami, 2 April 2017, url
343 Jamestown Foundation (The), ‘Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami: A Pakistani Partner for Islamic State’, 27 January 2017, url
344 Jamestown Foundation (The), ‘Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami: A Pakistani Partner for Islamic State’, 27 January 2017, url
345 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 70
346 Stanford University, Mapping Militant Organizations. “Lashkar-e-Islam.”, last updated: August 2019, url
347 Osman, B., The Islamic State in ‘Khorasan’: How it began and where it stands now in Nangarhar, AAN, 27 July 2016, url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

government of Pakistan banned LI in June 2008.348 Pakistani military operations in 2014 reportedly
crippled the group’s operational capabilities in Khyber district. As a result, members of LI relocated to
Afghanistan.349 It has been reported that LI works together with ISKP in Afghanistan and both are‘important allies’.350 In 2015, LI announced its merger with the TTP.351 The leader of LI, Mangal Bagh,was reportedly killed in a drone attack in Afghanistan in the summer of 2016.352 This was notconfirmed by the Pakistani government or by experts. A regional expert told VoA in February 2018that Mangal Bagh was still alive and active in eastern Afghanistan.353 A May 2020 UNSC reportmentioned that the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement works together with LI.354
LI was involved in two ‘terrorist attacks’ in 2019 compared to 10 in 2018 according to PIPS.355 PIPS
reported that LI is losing its strength due to the deaths of important commanders and due to internalfighting in Pakistan and Afghanistan.356
Sipah-e Muhammad Pakistan (SMP)
SMP is a Shia militant group whose aim is to protect the Shia community and target hostile Sunni
Deobandi organisations such as SSP and LeJ. SMP is an armed offshoot of a mainstream Shia politicalparty, the Tehrik-Nifaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafaria (TNFJ).357 The origins are unclear, but it was probably foundedaround 1993 by Maulana Mureed Abbas Yazdani. SMP was banned in Pakistan in August 2001.358
In 2019, PIPS stated that a Shia militant group was activated in Karachi ‘after a long interval in 2019’.
The group was found involved in ‘two terrorist incidents’ in Karachi.359
Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM)
JeM was founded late 2000 by former Harakat ul-Mujahideen leader Masood Azhar.360 USDOS statedin June 2020 that ‘the group aims to annex the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan and
expel international forces from Afghanistan. JeM has openly declared war against the UnitedStates.’361 JeM and the Pakistani army have been accused of having an alliance.362 According toPakistani security analyst, Azaz Syed, cited by Farhan Zahid in an article of 2019, JeM has an estimatedstrength of 40 000 militants.363 JeM has relations with multiple militant groups operating in Pakistansuch as the TTP and LeJ. The structure of the organisation can be categorised as cell-based and

348 Dawn, Pakistan bans 25 militant organisations, 6 August 2009, url; Express Tribune (The), List of banned organisations inPakistan, 24 October 2012, url
349 PIPS, Security Report 2016, 10 January 2017, url, p. 68
350 RSIS, Annual Threat Assessment-South Asia, January 2019, Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, url, p. 37; PIPS, Pakistan
Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 75
351 LWJ, 3 jihadist groups merge with Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, 6 May 2015, url
352 Nation (The), Mangal Bagh ‘is dead’, 25 July 2016, url
353 VoA, IS, Lashkar-e-Islam Clash in Eastern Afghanistan, 11 February 2018, url
354 UNSC, Letter dated 19 May 2020 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution
1988 (2011) addressed to the President of the Security Council, 27 May 2020, url, p. 21355 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 75; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url,
p. 69
356 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 69
357 Dawn, Pakistan bans 25 militant organisations, 6 August 2009, url; Jamestown Foundation (The), ‘Sipah-e-Sahaba:
Fomenting Sectarian Violence in Pakistan’, 5 May 2005, url
358 Express Tribune (The), List of banned organisations in Pakistan, 24 October 2012, url
359 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 71
360 Zahid, F., Profile of Jaish-e-Muhammad and Leader Masood Azhar, April 2019, Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, url,
pp. 1-5
361 USDOS, Country Report on Terrorism 2019, 24 June 2020, url, p. 276
362 Lowy Institute, Pakistan and Jaish-e-Mohammad: An unholy alliance, 7 July 2017, url; Diplomat (The), Jaish-e-Mohammed:
Under the Hood, 13 March 2019, url
363 Zahid, F., Profile of Jaish-e-Muhammad and Leader Masood Azhar, April 2019, Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, url,
p. 5

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

operated in Pakistan Punjab’s southern districts.364 According to a May 2020 UNSC report, citing
Afghan interlocutors, ‘JeM and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba facilitate the trafficking of terrorist fighters into
Afghanistan, who act as advisers, trainers and specialists in improvised explosive devices.’365
JeM was also active in Indian Kashmir since the Pathankot airbase attack in 2016. Since then, it steadily
increased its presence and activities in Kashmir according to security analysts.366 On 14 February 2019,
JeM carried out an attack on a convoy of vehicles carrying security personnel in Pulwama in Indianadministrated Kashmir. In this attack, 46 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed
and 80 others wounded.367 India blamed Pakistan for this attack, which triggered an escalation oftensions between India and Pakistan.368 The leader of JeM, Masood Azhar was placed on the list of‘global terrorists’ by the United Nations on 1 May 2019.369
Lashkar-e Taiba (LeT)
LeT was founded in the late 1980s as a ‘terrorist’370 and military wing of the religious organisation
Markaz Dawa-ul-Irshad.371 The group was founded by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, who is still its current
leader.372 In the 1990s, the ISI established close relationships with groups such LeT373, and the groupreportedly enjoys ongoing clandestine support by elements of Pakistani military and intelligence
services.374 In 2001, LeT was designated as an Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) by the US. To
circumvent sanctions, Saeed changed the group’s name to Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JUD)375, however, thegroup continues to operate in the country through its charitable organisations, including Jamaat-udDawa.376 LeT aims to unite Kashmir with Pakistan and impose Sharia law rule in South Asia.377 It isbased in Punjab and present in both Indian and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.378 LeT is considered
one most prominent armed groups operating on Pakistani soil, reportedly sending fighters across theLine of Control into Indian-administered Kashmir; the groups has carried out several attacks against
the Indian security forces. In 2018, it was blamed for a Mumbai attacks that killed over 160 people.379
According to Indian government source, the group has 129 active fighters in Indian-administered
Kashmir.380 LeT claims to maintain over 2 000 offices in Pakistan381, however the groups does not

364 Zahid, F., Profile of Jaish-e-Muhammad and Leader Masood Azhar, April 2019, Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, url,

p. 5
365 UNSC, Letter dated 19 May 2020 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution
1988 (2011) addressed to the President of the Security Council, 27 May 2020, url, p. 20
366 Basit, A. and Mahmood, S., Implications of Possible United States Withdrawal on the South Asian Militant Landscape, April
2019, Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, url, p. 21
367 BBC News, Pulwama attack: India will 'completely isolate' Pakistan, 15 February 2019, url; Zahid, F., Profile of Jaish-eMuhammad and Leader Masood Azhar, April 2019, Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, url, p. 1
368 Zahid, F., Profile of Jaish-e-Muhammad and Leader Masood Azhar, April 2019, Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, url,
p. 1
369 Al Jazeera, UN puts Pakistani armed group chief Masood Azhar on 'terror' list, 1 May 2019, url
370 USDOS, Country reports on Terrorism 2019, 24 June 2020, url
371 EFSAS, Pakistan Army and Terrorism; an unholy alliance, n.d., url; FAS, Lashkar-e-Taiba Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (Army of theRighteous), n.d., url;
372 Al Jazeera, UN puts Pakistani armed group chief Masood Azhar on 'terror' list, 1 May 2019, url
373 BBC News, Hafiz Saeed: Will Pakistan's 'terror cleric' stay in jail?, 13 February 2020, url
374 CEP, Lashkar-e-Taiba, n.d., url
375 USDOS, Country reports on Terrorism 2019, 24 June 2020, url
376 Al Jazeera, Explainer: Who are Kashmir's armed groups?, 3 March 2019, url; CEP, Pakistan, n.d., url; CIA, World Factbook,Pakistan, url
377 CIA, World Factbook, Pakistan, url
378 CIA, World Factbook, Pakistan, url
379 Al Jazeera, Explainer: Who are Kashmir's armed groups?, 3 March 2019, url
380 Al Jazeera, Explainer: Who are Kashmir's armed groups?, 3 March 2019, url
381 EFSAS, Pakistan Army and Terrorism; an unholy alliance, n.d., url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

conduct attacks against Pakistan.382 In 2018, group’s members ran as independent candidates inPakistani elections.383
Nationalist movements in Sindh
The Sindhi nationalist groups include the Sindhu Desh Liberation Army (SDLA), also known as Sindhu
Desh Liberation Front (SDLF), and the Sindhu Desh Revolutionary Army (SDRA).384 The government ofPakistan banned both organisations in May 2020.385 According to PIPS, in 2019 both groups wereinvolved in two terrorist attacks in inner Sindh.386 A March 2020 article by the News stated that bothorganisations have weakened but have not fully disappeared in Sindh.387 According to a July 2020
report by Muhammed Amir Rana, a security analyst, the activities of these groups have increased since
the outbreak of COVID-19 in Pakistan.388
Sindhu Desh Liberation Army (SDLA)
According to Muhammed Amir Rana, a security analyst, the SDLA has ties with the Jeay Sindh
Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), a Sindhi nationalist party headed by Shafi Burfat, who lives in exile inEurope.389 The SDLA reportedly collaborated with the BLA and BLF in targeting Chinese nationals.390
Sindhu Desh Revolutionary Army (SDRA)
Syed Asghar Shah, a leader within the SDLA left the group after developing differences with Shafi
Burfat over funds and leadership.391 Syed Asghar Shah established the SDRA in 2010.392 On
25 July 2020, the Baloch Raji Ajoi Sangar (BRAS) announced an operational alliance with the SDRA.393
Fahad Nabeel, a senior research associate at the Centre for Strategic and Contemporary Research(CSCR), stated that the strength of this alliance is estimated at approximately 1 000 to 2 000
militants.394
A June 2020 article by Tushar Ranjan Mohanty mentioned that since its formation in 2010, the SDRA
was involved in thirteen attacks. In June 2020, the SDRA claimed responsibility for six attacks, mostly
on security force personnel in Sindh.395 On 5 August 2020, a grenade explosion targeted a politicalrally in Karachi. At least 39 people were injured. The SDRA claimed responsibility for the attack.396
Nationalist movements in Balochistan
PIPS 2019 annual security situation report stated that there are approximately seven Balochnationalist movements active in Balochistan. The operational capabilities of these groups differ fromgroup to group. The areas where they are active, are reduced to pockets.397 The Baloch movements

382 CEP, Pakistan, n.d., url; CIA, World Factbook, Pakistan, url
383 Al Jazeera, Explainer: Who are Kashmir's armed groups?, 3 March 2019, url
384 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 73
385 Dawn, JSQM-A, two separatist outfits in Sindh banned, 12 May 2020, url
386 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 73
387 International News (The), Sindhi separatist offshoot sets alarm bells ringing for law enforcement agencies, 10 March 2020,

url
388 Amir Rana, M., Terrorism in Pakistan under Covid-19, NIOC, 24 July 2020, url, p. 12
389 Amir Rana, M., Terrorism in Pakistan under Covid-19, NIOC, 24 July 2020, url, p. 13; News on Sunday (The), A new waveof terror, 5 July 2020, url; Mohanty Ranjan, T., Pakistan: Sindh: Hardening Separatism, 29 June 2020, SAIR, volume 19, no.
1, url390 Nabeel, F., Interpreting BRAS-SRA Alliance, 27 July 2020, CSRC, url
391 Amir Rana, M., Terrorism in Pakistan under Covid-19, NIOC, 24 July 2020, url, p. 12
392 Mohanty Ranjan, T., Pakistan: Sindh: Hardening Separatism, 29 June 2020, SAIR, volume 19, no. 1, url
393 Nabeel, F., Interpreting BRAS-SRA Alliance, 27 July 2020, CSCR, url
394 Nabeel, F., Interpreting BRAS-SRA Alliance, 27 July 2020, CSCR, url
395 Mohanty Ranjan, T., Pakistan: Sindh: Hardening Separatism, 29 June 2020, SAIR, volume 19, no. 1, url
396 Al Jazeera, Dozens wounded in grenade attack at pro-Kashmir Karachi rally, 5 August 2020, url
397 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 72

39

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

have been using Afghanistan and Iran as their hideouts and operate and launch their attacks fromthere.398
On 6 July 2020, Asad Hashim stated the following about the Baloch nationalist movements in 2020:‘In 2020, Baloch nationalist armed groups have emerged as perhaps the most prominent
threat to security, carrying out attacks targeting security forces in Balochistan and expanding
their reach to carry out the Pakistan Stock Exchange attack in Karachi in June. The attack in
Karachi bore the hallmarks of a similar attack in 2019, when Baloch separatist gunmenattempted to storm the Chinese consulate in that city, killing two people. The Pakistan Stock
Exchange attack, however, is significantly different from that previous attack in that it involved
targeting a facility of Pakistani civilians. The attackers were heavily armed and carried foodrations, indicating that their intentions were to carry out a prolonged siege. (Note: the choiceof target has also revealed apparent rifts within the BLA, with a faction of the group expressing
its rejection of the move to target civilians in a statement released after the attack.)’399
Below the most prominent Baloch nationalist groups are described.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)
The objective of the BLA is an independent Balochistan, free of Pakistani and Iranian rule. Because ofits violent methods, such as bomb attacks, it was banned in Pakistan in April 2006.400 The BLA firstemerged in the late 1990s.401 The BLA is led by Harbiyar Marri, who lives in the United Kingdom.402
PIPS stated on the other hand that the BLA has ‘two offshoots’. One group is led by Harbiyar Marriand another group is comprised of insurgents who were led by Aslam Achu403 until he was killed in
Afghanistan in December 2018.404 Aslam Achu has set up the Majeed Brigade.405 The Majeed Brigade
is an elite unit within the BLA.406 One of the leading figures of the second group is Commander Bashir
Zeb.407 Security analyst Abdul Basit stated that the BLA is one of the strongest threats to China’s
investments, due to its prominent physical strength (2 000 to 3 000 militants) and that the group iscapable to operate out of Afghanistan, in Iran and in Balochistan’s mountainous areas.408 In July 2019,
USDOS designated the BLA as a terrorist organisation.409
PIPS stated that the BLA carried out 27 ‘terrorist attacks’ in Balochistan in 2019, which is a slightincrease compared to 2018 when they carried out 25 attacks.410 The majority of the attacks in 2019
took place in Balochistan (25 attacks) and one each in south Punjab and interior Sindh.411 In November
2018, three BLA gunmen killed at least five people in an attack targeting the Chinese consulate in
Karachi in the province of Sindh.412 This was the second time the group carried out a suicide attack,instead of their ‘normal’ operating tactics such as mortar attacks and ambushes. According to an
398 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, pp. 72-73
399 Hashim, A., email, 6 July 2020
400 Dawn, Pakistan bans 25 militant organisations, 6 August 2009, url; Express Tribune (The), List of banned organisations inPakistan, 24 October 2012, url
401 Gandhara, Baluch Separatist Insurgency Torn By Internal Conflict Over Class, 4 July 2020, url
402 South China Morning Post (Basit, A.), Attacks on Chinese nationals and interests in Pakistan are likely to continue. Here’s
why, 27 November 2018, url
403 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 93
404 CSCR, Aslam Baloch’s killing: Implications for Balochistan Insurgency, 28 December 2018, url
405 Gandhara, Baluch Separatist Insurgency Torn By Internal Conflict Over Class, 4 July 2020, url
406 Balochistan Post (The), TBP Report: Majeed Brigade – The Inside Story, 20 July 2020, url
407 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 93
408 South China Morning Post (Basit, A.), Attacks on Chinese nationals and interests in Pakistan are likely to continue. Here’s
why, 27 November 2018, url
409 RFE/RL, U.S. Designates Pakistan's Balochistan Liberation Army As Terrorist Group, 3 July 2019, url
410 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 78; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url,
p. 73
411 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 73
412 Al Jazeera, Gunmen attack Chinese consulate in Karachi, 23 November 2018, url

40

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

article of RSIS this attack signified a willingness to learn from other terrorist groups and to evolve.413
On 10 May 2019, the BLA killed at least five people in a gun and bomb attack on a coal mine in Harnai
district in Balochistan.414 On 12 May 2019, militants of the BLA attacked the Pearl Continental Hotel in
Gwadar, killing at least five people.415 On 29 June 2020, militants of the BLA attacked the Pakistan
Stock Exchange (PSX) building in Karachi in the province of Sindh. At least four people were killed andseven injured.416
The Baloch Liberation Front (BLF)
The BLF is an insurgent group, led by Allah Nazar Baloch.417 This group operated across Balochistan,
but was primarily active in the Makran belt.418 The BLF was banned in September 2010.419 In
October 2017, the BLF accused local journalists of collaborating with the Pakistani army, and also
threatened and boycotted the local media.420
According to PIPS, the BLF has its base in the central and south-western districts of Balochistan. The
group has gone into hiding, either in the areas close to the Iranian border or across the border near
Iran or Afghanistan.421 In 2019, the BLF claimed responsibility for 11 ‘terrorist attacks’ compared to 22
in 2018.422
The Baloch Republican Army (BRA)
The banned BRA is the militant wing of the separatist Baloch Republican Party (BRP) and was at theend of 2018 reportedly headed by Brahumdagh Bugti.423 The most prominent BRA attack was inJanuary 2015 against the electricity network of Pakistan, which caused a blackout in 80 % ofPakistan.424
In 2019, the BRA carried out 6 ‘terrorist attacks’ compared to 12 attacks in 2018. The attacks in 2019
occurred in Dera Bugti and Kholu districts of Balochistan and one attack was reported from south
Punjab.425
United Baloch Army (UBA)The UBA is a nationalist insurgent group in Balochistan and a splinter group of the BLA.426 In 2015, theUBA was led by Mehran Marri.427 The Balochistan Post reported in February 2018 that the BRA, theUBA and the Lashkar-e-Balochistan (LB) work together for an independent Balochistan.428

413 RSIS, Annual Threat Assessment-South Asia, January 2019, Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, url, p. 57
414 Al Jazeera, Pakistan: Five dead as Baloch separatist gunmen attack coal mine, 10 May 2019, url
415 Al Jazeera, Pakistan military says five killed in hotel attack in Gwadar, 12 May 2019, url
416 Al Jazeera, Pakistan: 4 killed in attack on Karachi stock exchange, 29 June 2020, url
417 South China Morning Post (Basit, A.), Attacks on Chinese nationals and interests in Pakistan are likely to continue. Here’s

why, 27 November 2018, url
418 RFE/RL, Pakistan’s Balochistan Conflict Reverberates In Europe, 7 December 2017, url
419 Express Tribune (The), List of banned organisations in Pakistan, 24 October 2012, url
420 BBC News, Balochistan journalists caught 'between the stick and the gun', 26 November 2017, url
421 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 94
422 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 73
423 South China Morning Post (Basit, A.), Attacks on Chinese nationals and interests in Pakistan are likely to continue. Here’s
why, 27 November 2018, url
424 Diplomat (The), Understanding Pakistan’s Baloch Insurgency, 24 June 2015, url
425 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 79; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url,
p. 73
426 RFE/RL, Pakistan’s Balochistan Conflict Reverberates In Europe, 7 December 2017, url; Dawn, Situationer: Who’s who of
Baloch insurgency, 1 June 2015, url
427 Dawn, Situationer: Who’s who of Baloch insurgency, 1 June 2015, url
428 Balochistan Post (The), Baloch pro-freedom groups to work unitedly, 25 February 2018, url

41

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Baloch Raji Ajoi Sangar (BRAS)
The Baloch Raji Ajoi Sangar (BRAS), also known as the Baloch People Liberation Coalition, is a coalitionof the BLA, the BLF and the Baloch Republican Guards after publicly disagreeing for years.429 This
coalition was launched in November 2018.430 According to an article published by CSCR, ‘unificationand consolidation of the national strength is the only way forward to get rid of Pakistani occupationof Balochistan.’ The coalition aims to direct ‘coordinated attacks against Pakistani military, Chineseinterests in Balochistan and CPEC sites’.431 According to the Pakistani Foreign Minister, training andlogistical camps are established in the Iranian region bordering Pakistan.432 Farhan Zahid, a security
analyst, stated in September 2019 that the group operates in the south-western part of Balochistan
and has ‘safe havens’ in Kacha, DG Khan and Koh Suleman. The primary targets of BRAS are Chinese
workers and CPEC projects in Baluchistan. BRAS also targeted military and paramilitary security force
personnel near the Makran coast.433 On 18 July 2020, the police in Karachi claimed to have arrested
six members of BRAS.434 On 25 July 2020, BRAS announced an operational alliance with the SDRA.435
According to PIPS, since the establishment of BRAS, the group was responsible for 4 attacks until theend of 2019.436 On 18 April 2019, BRAS killed 14 bus passengers after several buses were ambushed
in the remote Ormara area of Balochistan.437

1.3 Recent security trends and armed confrontations
1.3.1 Security incidents
In the first two sub-sections below, the number of security incidents by ACLED, PIPS and PICSS aredescribed for 2019 and the first seven months of 2020 respectively. Due to different methodologies
used by these three sources, the number of security incidents reported below are described per eachsource for ease of comparison. For more detailed information on the methodology applied by thesources, see the Introduction.
In general, according to sources systematically collecting information on militant and anti-state
violence in Pakistan, the overall security situation improved in 2019 compared to previous years.438
Security incidents in 2019
According to ACLED439, there were 972 security incidents recorded in Pakistan in 2019: 394 were coded
as battles, 184 as explosions/remote violence and 394 as violence against civilians.440
See Figure 1 for an evolution of the security incidents in 2019 in Pakistan by ACLED.

429 CSCR (Nabeel, F.), Identity as a Pretext of Terror: Brief Backgrounder of Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar, 18 April 2019, url;

Gandhara, Balochistan’s Separatist Insurgency On The Wane Despite Recent Attack, 18 April 2019, url
430 CSCR (Nabeel, F.), Identity as a Pretext of Terror: Brief Backgrounder of Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar, 18 April 2019, url
431 CSCR (Nabeel, F.), Identity as a Pretext of Terror: Brief Backgrounder of Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar, 18 April 2019, url
432 Reuters, Pakistan asks Iran to act on militants behind Baluchistan killings, 20 April 2019, url
433 Zahid, F., Baluch Raji Ajohi Sangar: Emergence of a New Baluch Separatist Alliance, 20 September 2019, Terrorism
Monitor, volume: 17, issue: 18, url
434 Pakistan Today, Six RAW-linked terrorists arrested in Karachi, 18 July 2020, url
435 Nabeel, F., Interpreting BRAS-SRA Alliance, 27 July 2020, CSCR, url
436 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 92
437 Al Jazeera, Gunmen kill 14 bus passengers in Pakistan’s Balochistan, 18 April 2019, url
438 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, pp. 11-12; PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9January 2020, url, pp. 13-14
439 For a description of this source, see the introduction
440 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2019-31 December 2019), url

42Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Figure 1. Evolution of security events coded battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians in 2019 inPakistan, based on ACLED data441

In 2019, PICSS442 recorded in total 270 incidents perpetrated by militants (159) and counter-insurgency
operations (111) by the Pakistani government, in which 393 people were killed: 110 militants, 133
civilians, 150 security forces personnel.443 A total of 687 people were injured including 506 civilians,
one militant, two razakars and 178 security forces personnel. Compared to 2018, this represents a
33 % decrease in the number of incidents.444
PIPS445 documented 433 incidents of violence in 2019. The overall incidents of violence resulted in 588
deaths and 1 030 injured.446 More than half of the number of violent incidents (229 incidents) werelabelled as ‘terrorist attacks’447, according to PIPS. Compared to 2018, the number of violent incidents
decreased by approximately 15 %.448
Security incidents 1 January 2020 – 31 July 2020
In the first seven months of 2020, ACLED recorded 260 security incidents in Pakistan: 161 battles, 50
explosions/remote violence and 49 incidents of violence against civilians.449
See Figure 2 for an evolution of the security incidents the first seven months of 2020 in Pakistan by
ACLED.

441 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;

Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2019-31 December 2019), url
442 For a description of this source, see the introduction
443 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 12
444 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 15
445 For a description of this source, see the introduction
446 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, pp. 20-21
447 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 9448 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, pp. 20-21
449 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Cedoca analysis based on
publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan; Event types: battles,
explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2020-31 July 2020), url

43Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Figure 2. Evolution of security events coded battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians in the firstseven months of 2020 in Pakistan, based on ACLED data450

In the period 1 January 2020 - 31 July 2020 PICSS recorded 187 incidents of anti-state violence bymilitants (100) and counter-insurgency operations (87) by the Pakistani government, during which 260
people were killed (106 militants, 76 civilians, 78 security forces personnel). A total of 231 people were
injured including 155 civilians, 5 militants and 71 security forces personnel.451
In the period 1 January 2020 - 31 July 2020 PIPS452 documented 233 incidents of violence, resulting in
308 deaths and injured 402. Of the total 233 incidents of violence, 88 incidents were labelled as‘terrorist attacks’453, according to PIPS.454

1.3.2 Nature of security incidents
GeneralThe nature of the violence in 2019 and in the first seven months of 2020 was diverse and is describedin detail in the following sections. The 2019 annual security situation report by PIPS listed a breakdownof the nature of the violent incidents and the number of casualties in 2019 (see Figure 3).
Nature of violence incidents

No. of incidents

No. of killed

No. of injured‘Terrorist attacks’

229

357

729

Political / election-related violence

8

6

7

Clashes & encounters between security 25
forces & militants

44

9

2019

450 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Cedoca analysis based on

publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan; Event types: battles,
explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2020-31 July 2020), url
451 Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PICSS
452 For a description of this source, see the introduction
453 Sectarian and political (etc.) ‘terrorist attacks’ are counted as ‘terrorist attacks’ and not included in the other categories;
PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 7
454 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS

44

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Cross-border clashes/attacks

128

91

245

Operational attacks by sec. forces

28

81

19

Plot/foiled terror attempts

12

3

7

Targeted attacks (not by ‘terrorists’)

2

2

0

Protests/clashes with security forces

1

4

14

Total 2019

433

588

1 030

Total 2018

497

869

1 516

Figure 3. Breakdown nature of all incidents of violence in 2019, based on PIPS data455

Figure 4 presents a breakdown of the nature of violent incidents and the number of casualties
recorded by PIPS in the first seven months of 2020.
Nature of violence incidents

No. of incidents

No. of killed

No. of injured‘Terrorist attacks’

88

124

229

Political / ethnic violence

-

-

-

Clashes & encounters between security 10
forces & militants

27

6

Cross-border clashes/attacks

81

30

113

Operational attacks by sec. forces

30

100

13

Inter-militant clashes/attacks

3

4

10

Communal/faith- based violence

1

1

0

Plot/foiled terror attempts

11

0

0

Recovery of dead bodies

1

4

0

Targeted attacks (not by ‘terrorists’)

7

10

1

Protests/clashes with security forces

1

8

30

Total 1 January 2020 -31 July 2020

233

308

402

1 January 2020 – 31 July 2020

Figure 4. Breakdown nature of all incidents of violence in 2019 based on PIPS data 456

In the following sections the nature of the violent incidents in Pakistan are described in detail. For
further information on the varying numbers of civilian casualties and the various methodologies usedby these research institutions, see the Introduction and 1.4.1 Figures on casualties in 2019 and 1.4.2
Figures on casualties 1 January 2020 - 31 July 2020.
Security operations and armed clashes
In the past, the Pakistan armed forces conducted major security operations in the country. These
operations are described here below. In addition, a description of the nature of security operations in2019 and the first half of 2020 is provided.

455 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, pp. 20-21
456 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS

45

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Operation Zarb-e-Azb
Operation Zarb-e-Azb was launched on 15 June 2014 by the Pakistani armed forces in the province of
KP and in the former FATA. The purpose of the operation was to target the militants in North
Waziristan.457 Operation Zarb-e-Azb reduced the levels of militant violence, but at the cost of highlevels of violence on behalf of security forces that affected the civilian population.458 Most areas werecleared of militants, except a few pockets and sleeper cells. Therefore, the Pakistani state has regained
public trust to some extent, but the operation was conducted ‘in a violent manner’. The operation
also caused internal displacement.459 Critics of the operation claim it did not destroy the TTP, whowere able to relocate to Afghanistan to carry out attacks from there.460
Operation Radd-Ul-Fasaad
Operation Radd-Ul-Fasaad was launched on 22 February 2017, after a series of attacks in the country
in the beginning of 2017. This operation has not been confined to one area, but carried out across thewhole of Pakistan.461 The operation is aimed at eliminating the threat of terrorism and at consolidating
the gains of Operation Zarb-e-Azb. It also aimed at ensuring the security of Pakistan's borders. The
operation included the involvement of Pakistan’s air force, Pakistan’s navy, Pakistan’s police and othercivil armed forces.462 The Rangers were given ‘special powers’ to operate in Lahore and different partsin the province of Punjab.463 The strategy of the operation is to use Intelligence-Based Operations(IBOs). ‘IBOs use[d] information from multiple intelligence agencies to find and eliminate militanthideouts across the country.’ Operation Radd-Ul-Fasaad reduced the level of violence but failed toprevent militant attacks on security forces and civilians.464 This military operation led to criticism thatsome groups such as Pashtuns, including Afghan migrants in the country were indiscriminately
targeted.465 Anti-militant operations as part of Radd-Ul-Fasaad continued in 2018 and the first half of2019.466 Since the start of the operation in 2017, ‘more than 400 terrorist plots’ were prevented. In
February 2020, a defence analyst stated in the Express Tribune that the operation ‘helped Pakistan toestablish complete control over tribal areas’.467
Operation Khyber-IV
In July 2017, the Pakistani army launched Operation Khyber-IV to clear Rajgal Valley in of militants in
Khyber tribal district.468 The main goal of Operation Khyber-IV was to eradicate the threat of IS in
Khyber tribal district, although security forces also targeted other militant groups and focused on theborder security at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.469 The Pakistani army announced the completionof Operation Khyber-IV on 21 August 2017.470

457 Zulfqar, S., An Overview of Pakistan’s Security Situation after Operation Zarb-e-Azb, October 2017, Islamabad Policy

Research Institute, url, pp. 117-118
458 Diplomat (The), Pakistan’s Counterterrorism Operation: Myth vs. Reality, 27 June 2016, url; BBC News, Uncovering
Pakistan's secret human rights abuses, 2 June 2019, url
459 Dawn, Nearly 40pc IDPs have returned to North Waziristan, army chief told, 19 December 2015, url
460 Diplomat (The), Pakistan’s Counterterrorism Operation: Myth vs. Reality, 27 June 2016, url
461 Express Tribune (The), Army launches Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad against terrorists across the country, 22 February 2017,url
462 Dawn, Pakistan Army launches 'Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad' across the country, 21 June 2017, url
463 AI, Pakistan: Wave of violence shows a horrific disregard for human life, 23 February 2017, url
464 Critical Threats, Pakistan’s Counter-Militant Offensive: Operation Raddul Fasaad, 25 August 2017, url
465 Express Tribune (The), Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad: ‘Punjab police focus on Pakhtuns and Afghans’, 4 March 2017, url
466 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 83; Nation (The), Forces ready to respond to any threat: COAS,
13 June 2019, url
467 Express Tribune (The), In three years, Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad has cleansed Pakistan, 22 February 2020, url
468 Dawn, Army launches Operation Khyber-4 in Rajgal Valley, 16 July 2017, url
469 PIPS, Security Report 2017, 7 January 2018, url, pp. 98-99
470 Express Tribune (The), Rajgal cleansed of terrorists as military concludes Operation Khyber-IV, 21 August 2017, url

46

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

According to PIPS, security operations and armed clashes were reported in all four provinces ofPakistan in 2019. Security forces carried out 28 operations and raids against militants in 2019,
compared to 31 operations and raids against militants in 2018.471 Most of these operational strikes in2019 were carried out in KP (15), followed by Balochistan (11) and one each in Punjab and Sindh. 472
According to PIPS, 81 people were killed (compared to 77 in 2018), including 75 militants and 6 security
forces personnel.473
Besides these operational attacks, security forces engaged also in 25 armed clashes with militants in2019 compared to 22 armed clashes in 2018.474 The armed clashes in 2019 claimed 44 lives (38militants, 6 security forces personnel). In total 9 people were injured, all security forces personnel.475
PIPS stated that in the first seven months of 2020, the security forces carried out 30 operations against
militants. According to PIPS, 100 people were killed and 13 injured. Besides these operational attacks,
security forces engaged in 4 armed clashes and 6 encounters with militants in the first seven monthsof 2020. PIPS mentioned in the same timeframe also one clash/protest with security forces.476
On the question regarding what measures have been adopted by the Pakistan armed forces to
respond to the security situation in 2020, Asad Hashim stated on 6 July 2020 the following:‘Pakistan’s military has continued to carry out what it terms ‘Intelligence-Based Operations’(IBOs) as its primary form of response to security threats in 2019 and 2020. According to one
military source, the uptick in violence in North Waziristan district has been a response to anincrease in IBO’s targeting TTP sleeper cells in that district. Military operations against Balochnationalist groups continue in that province. Rights groups say the military continues tocommit enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings as a matter of routine in its security
operations. There is no accountability for such alleged abuses.’477
Mansur Khan Mahsud stated on 30 June 2020 the following about the measures by the Pakistan
armed forces to respond to the security situation in 2020 in the KPTDs:‘There is a large number of Pakistani security forces present in all the seven tribal districts offormer FATA. At the same time the government has built a good intelligence network in theformer areas of FATA. The government has also formed peace committees in almost all the
areas of former FATA to keep the law and order situation under control. The government isalso involved in the uplift of the area to provide jobs and create business environment in thearea so that the local people don’t need to turn to militant groups for money etc. Secondly
tribal elders and religious scholars are also used by the government to educate the local
people that militancy is not good for them or for their areas.’478
According to Michael Kugelman, the army is not been actively involved in new security measures. He
stated:‘With Pakistan’s security situation in a relatively good place in 2020, and with the main policy
focus on a struggling economy and the pandemic—combined with the fact that the military,
faced with the reality of a ruling party inexperienced with national governance, has taken on

471 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, pp. 20 -21, p. 77; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January

2019, url, pp. 23; 83-84
472 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 77
473 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, pp. 20 -21; 77; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January
2019, url, pp. 23; 83-84
474 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 79; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url,
p. 23; pp. 85-86
475 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 79
476 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
477 Hashim, A., email, 6 July 2020
478 Khan Mahsud, M., email, 30 June 202047

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situationa more active role in tackling these challenges—the armed forces have not been active on thefront of new security measures. We can be sure that they have authorized steps to beef up
security around CPEC projects, Chinese nationals, electricity grids, and other targets that could
be hit by separatist militants. But otherwise, the armed forces’ focus during the first half of2020 has been in other areas.’479
Attacks by militant groups
Militant groups continued to conduct attacks in 2019 and the first seven months of 2020. Tactics usedwere targeted killings, different types of IEDs, suicide attacks, kidnappings, grenade blasts, rocket
attacks, and sabotage acts.480 Figures on these attacks and a description of the most common tactics
and weapons used by militants are provided below.
Figures of attacks by militant groups
According to PICSS 2019 annual report, 159 militant attacks occurred in 2019 compared to 229 in2018. PICSS mentioned that in 2019 these militant attacks killed 305 people and injured 662.481
According to the PIPS 2019 annual security report, 229 ‘terrorist attacks’ were carried out by militant,nationalist, insurgent and violent sectarian groups in Pakistan in 2019. This is a 13 % decrease
compared to 2018 (262 ‘terrorist attacks’).482 PIPS mentioned that in 2019 those attacks killed 357 andinjured 729 people. The number of people killed decreased by 40 % compared to 2018.483 Those killedin these ‘terrorist attacks’ in 2019 included 164 civilians, 163 security forces personnel and 30
militants, whilst those injured included 519 civilians, 208 security forces and 2 militants.484
In the first seven months of 2020, PICSS observed 100 militant attacks. PICSS noticed that in thistimeframe these militant attacks killed 154 people and injured 217. Most targeted were civilians (76killed and 155 injured), followed by security force personnel (62 killed, 61 injured) and militants (16killed, 1 injured).485
PIPS counted 88 ‘terrorist attacks’ in the first seven months of 2020. PIPS mentioned that in 2020
those attacks killed 124 and injured 229 people.486
Tactics and weapons used by militants
PICSS made a breakdown of the tactics used by militants in 2019 in its annual report. PICSS reported
suicide attacks, IED attacks, militant assaults, kidnapping, rocket attacks and grenade attacks.487 The
same tactics were also observed in the first half of 2020.488
In the following paragraphs the major tactics used by militants are explained in greater detail.
Suicide attacks
The PICSS 2019 annual report stated that militants carried out 6 suicide attacks in which 45 people
were killed and 112 were injured. According to PICSS, the number of suicide attacks in 2019 decreased
with 67 % compared to 2018 (18 suicide attacks).489 According to PIPS, 4 suicide attacks took place in

479 Kugelman M., email, 6 August 2020
480 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 18; PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January

2020, url, p. 22
481 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 18
482 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 17
483 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 17
484 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 17
485 Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PICSS
486 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
487 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 22
488 Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PICSS
489 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 23

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

2019 in which 55 people were killed and injured 122.490 The CRSS 2019 annual report recorded 9
suicide attacks which killed 56 people.491
The majority of the suicide attacks counted by PIPS in 2019, occurred in the province of Balochistan(two), followed by one each in the provinces of Punjab and KP.492
In the period from 1 January 2020 until 31 July 2020, PICSS and PIPS observed two suicide attacks inthe province of Balochistan in which 25 people were killed and 39 injured.493
Bomb explosions and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)
PIPS stated that in 2019 militants used various types of IEDs in 123 attacks compared to 118 attacks
in 2018.494 PICSS reported that in 2019, 84 incidents with IEDs occurred in which 112 people were
killed and 441 were injured. The number of IED attacks decreased slightly in 2019 compared to 2018(87 IED attacks).495 CRSS reported that in 2019, 87 ‘explosive attacks’496 took place in which 104 people
were killed.497 The highest number of IED explosions in 2019 was recorded in the province of
Balochistan followed by the tribal districts of KP according to PICSS.498 According to the 2019 annual
report of FATA Research Centre (FRC), IEDs were ‘the most preferred tool’ of attacks carried out by
militants targeting civilians, security forces and member of civil militia in the tribal districts of KP.499
In the period from 1 January 2020 until 31 July 2020, PICSS reported 42 incidents with IEDs in which
37 people were killed and 117 were injured. Civilians and security personnel were the victims of
IEDs.500
Targeted killings
According to PICSS, 24 targeted killings occurred in 2019. In these attacks, 43 people were killed and9 injured.501 PICSS reported that most of the targeted killings took place in Balochistan province,
followed by the provinces of KP and Sindh.502 CRSS stated that in the terrorist attacks that occurred in
2019, 177 incidents were targeted killings in which 219 people were killed and 51 injured.503
In the period from 1 January 2020 until 31 July 2020, PICSS mentioned 23 targeted killings in which 35
people were killed and 6 injured.504
Kidnappings
PICSS counted in 2019 two kidnappings by militants.505 The 2019 annual report by FRC recorded fourkidnappings in 2019 in tribal districts.506 Abduction was reported as a method used by the Pakistanisecurity establishment to silence anyone who tried to question and expose their actions. Regularly

490 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 22
491 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 21
492 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 22
493 Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PICSS; Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 -data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
494 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 18; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url,
p. 18
495 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 25
496 According to CRSS definition of explosive attacks: bombs, IEDs, landmines, CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January
2020, url, p. 21
497 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 21
498 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, pp. 25-26
499 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 12
500 Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PICSS
501 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, pp. 28-29
502 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 28
503 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 17
504 Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PICSS
505 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 29
506 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 13

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

there were reports of abductions of journalists or activists.507 In July 2019, Deutsche Welle reported
enforced disappearances of Shiite Muslims that were reportedly carried out by the country's
intelligence agencies. This happened in the context of Shiites who went to Iraq, Iran or Syria, though
there is no evidence that they took part in violent acts.508
In the period from 1 January 2020 until 31 July 2020, PICSS counted in total three incidents ofkidnapping and killing.509
Sectarian-related violence
According to PIPS, 14 incidents of sectarian-related violence occurred in 2019. Compared to 2018, PIPS
counted 12 incidents of sectarian-related violence.510 In 2019, 38 were killed and 78 were injured inthose incidents.511 Most of the sectarian attacks and clashes (9) in 2019 were incidents of targetedkilling or firing while four attacks employed IEDs and one hand grenade blast.512 Geographically, mostsectarian attacks occurred in Balochistan, mainly in Quetta (7), followed by Karachi in Sindh (6) and
one in D.I. Khan in KP.513 In 2019, the sectarian attack that caused the most casualties was the attackon 12 April 2019 that targeted the Hazara community in Quetta at the Hazarganji vegetable market
killing 21 people and wounding 48 others.514
In contrast, CRSS documented 203 sectarian-related casualties in 2019 with 44 killed and 120
wounded.515 Balochistan and Sindh were the provinces where most casualties fell in 2019.516 Most of
the sectarian violence in 2019 was directed against the Shia community (Hazara).517 According to PIPS,
the main perpetrators in 2019 were mainly factions of LeJ and SeM and also affiliates of IS.518
In the period from 1 January 2020 until 31 July 2020 PIPS counted 3 sectarian-related ‘terrorist
attacks’. In these incidents, 2 people were killed and 15 injured.519 In the first quarter of 2020 counted
CRSS in total 45 casualties of sectarian violence. CRSS mentioned that sectarian violence occurred in
Balochistan and Punjab.520 In the second quarter of 2020, CRSS documented sectarian violence in theprovince of KP, more specifically in Kurram tribal district. Two persons were killed and one injured.521
Political violence
PIPS counted 8 incidents of political and election-related violence in 2019. Besides this, PIPS alsocounted 9 ‘terrorist attacks’ against political leaders and workers. Overall, these 17 incidents claimed
the lives of 17 people and injured 26 in 2019.522 Compared to 2018 (an election year), the figures of2019 represented a significant decline.523
For a more extensive assessment of the violence in the run-up to the general elections of 25 July 2018,
please refer to the EASO Country of Origin Information Report Pakistan Security Situation of October

507 Al Jazeera, Pakistani activist abduction sparks fear of crackdown on dissent, 6 June 2018, url
508 DW, Why are Pakistani Shiites 'disappearing'?, 9 July 2019, url
509 Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PICSS
510 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 17, p. 53; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019,url, p. 53
511 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url,p. 17, p. 53
512 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 54
513 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 54
514 Al Jazeera, Pakistan: Deadly explosion rips through Quetta market, 13 April 2019, url
515 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 30
516 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 31
517 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 30
518 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 53
519 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
520 CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, First Quarter, 2020, 7 April 2020, url
521 CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, Second Quarter, 2020, 16 July 2020, url
522 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 56
523 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 56

50

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

2018.524 In the period from 1 January 2020 until 31 July 2020, PIPS did not record any politicalviolence.525
Border attacks
In 2019, PIPS counted in total 128 cross-border attacks at the borders with Afghanistan, India and Iranby foreign forces, Pakistani forces and militants. This is a decrease of 2 % in comparison to 2018 (131cross-border attacks).526 Most of these attacks (123) took place at the border with India, followed byfour attacks at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and one attack at the Pakistan-Iran border.527 The
main victims were civilians, followed by army personnel. A combined total of 91 people were killed inthese attacks and 245 injured.528 In the period from 1 January 2020 until 31 July 2020, PIPS mentioned
in total 81 cross-border attacks at the borders with Afghanistan, India and Iran. All of these attacks
took place at the border with India (75) and Afghanistan (6). Not a single cross-border attack wascounted at the border with Iran. A combined total of 30 people were killed in these attacks and 113
were injured.529
According to the Pakistan military, cited in the New York Times, the fencing of the border improved
the security situation in Pakistan.530 At the end of 2017, the Pakistani army started fencing the borderand building border fortifications.531 These attempts to improve security at the border triggered
numerous border clashes.532 According to PIPS, 4 cross-border attacks at the border with Afghanistan
killed 6 and injured 19 people in the border area in 2019, mostly army personnel.533 In the first sevenmonths of 2020, clashes at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border continued. PIPS reported six attacks inthe first seven months of 2020. These attacks killed 12 people and injured 12.534 On 30 July 2020,cross-border shelling by Pakistan killed 15 civilians in Afghanistan. The shelling occurred after clashes
between Pakistani and Afghan security forces at the closed Chaman-Spin Boldak border crossing in
the province of Balochistan.535 On 6 August 2020, the Pakistan army stated that one soldier was killed
and two others wounded by cross-border shelling from Afghanistan.536
The situation at the LoC and the de facto border between the Indian and Pakistani-controlled parts ofKashmir stayed ‘relatively more volatile’ in terms of the number of cross-border violations
documented in 2019, according to PIPS. At the Pakistan-India border 123 cross-border attacks
occurred, claiming the lives of 85 and injuring 226.537 In total in the first seven months of 2020, 75
cross-border attacks caused the death of 18 people and injured 101.538 In June 2020, multiple incidents
were recorded at the LoC.539 In July 2020, the Pakistan army stated that there was an escalation in
firing and shelling across the LoC.540

524 EASO, COI Report: Pakistan Security Situation, October 2018, url, p. 39
525 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
526 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 58; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url,

p. 62
527 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 58
528 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 58
529 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
530 New York Times (The), Pakistan Builds Border Fence, Limiting Militants and Families Alike, 15 March 2020, url
531 RFE/RL, Afghanistan Returns Captured, Dead Pakistani Soldiers After Cross-Border Clash, 16 April 2018, url; Los Angeles
Times, This border barrier got built — and it’s upended lives in Pakistan and Afghanistan, 26 May 2019, url
532 RFE/RL, Afghanistan Returns Captured, Dead Pakistani Soldiers After Cross-Border Clash, 16 April 2018, url
533 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 59
534 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 – data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
535 RFE/RL, Pakistani Shelling Kills 15 Afghan Civilians, Kabul Says, After Clashes At Closed Border, 31 July 2020, url
536 Gandhara, Pakistani Army Claims Cross-Border Firing From Afghanistan Killed Soldier, 6 August 2020, url
537 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 58, p. 59
538 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 – data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
539 Dawn, Four injured along LoC in Indian shelling, 10 June 2020, url; Dawn, Protest lodged with India over ceasefire
violations, 11 June 2020, url; Dawn, Woman killed in shelling from across LoC, 13 June 2020, url
540 Gandhara, In Disputed Kashmir, Pakistan Accuses India Of Increased Shelling, 23 July 2020, url

51

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

In 2019, Iranian border security forces carried out one cross-border attack in the Talab area of Chagai
district in Balochistan. No casualties were reported.541 In April 2019, Iran and Pakistan announced theestablishment of a joint border security force.542 Iran and Pakistan formed the Higher Border
Commission (HBC) which is a mechanism for consultations between the two countries to discuss allborder-related issues for enhanced coordination at different levels. In July 2019, the Pakistan-Iran HBC
decided to improve the coordination and to take the ‘appropriate’ measures including physicalinstallations such as fencing.543 PIPS documented not a single cross-border attack in the first sevenmonths of 2020.544 In May 2020, six FC soldiers were killed in an IED blast near the Pakistan-Iranborder.545 According to Al-Monitor, after this attack General Bajwa called his Iranian counterpart todemanded action and enhance border security and curb the attacks on Pakistani security forces by
militants operating from the Iranian side of the border.546 In June 2020, Pakistan conducted an IBO
operation alongside the Pakistan-Iranian border.547
Drone strikes
The first US drone strike in Pakistan took place in the Waziristan region in 2004. The number of drone
strikes between 2004 and 2014, and casualties, varied according to the source consulted.548 Most of
the US drone strikes in Pakistan took place in former FATA, where the US military believed al-Qaeda,
Taliban and other militant groups sought refuge.549 Under the Trump administration, aerial drone
strikes in Pakistan continued after a pause of nine months under the Obama administration.550 A study
published in March 2019 by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) that examined the relationshipbetween drone strikes and suicide attacks in Pakistan, stated that between January 2011 and January
2019 there were 199 confirmed drone strikes in Pakistan. This study stated that US-led drone strikes
in Pakistan may be fuelling ‘terrorist attacks’ – both of which were linked to high levels of civilian
harm.551
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) compiled its own data on aerial drone strikes until
February 2020. In 2018, TBIJ recorded five strikes. These US drone strikes killed between four and ninepeople. In four out of these five drone strikes, the victims were militants. In one drone attack, TBIJ
stated that there was the possibility that civilians were injured.552 The last drone strike occurred on
4 July 2018, when a US drone killed a commander of the TTP near North Waziristan.553 Among theconsulted sources, there were no drone attacks reported in 2019 or in the first seven months of2020.554

541 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 64
542 Al Jazeera, Pakistan and Iran to form rapid reaction force along border area, 22 April 2019, url
543 International News (The), Pakistan, Iran agree on border fencing, 19 July 2019, url
544 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
545 Dawn, 6 FC personnel martyred in IED blast near Pak-Iran border, 8 May 2020, url
546 Al-Monitor, Pakistan calls for tighter security on Iran border following fatal attack, 21 May 2020, url
547 Arab News Pakistan, 'Ground zero' operation underway against militant hideouts near Pakistan’s border with Iran, 6 June

2020, url
548 Watson Institute for International Studies, Costs of War: War-related Death, Injury, and Displacement in Afghanistan andPakistan 2001-2014, 22 May 2015, url, p. 11
549 Express Tribune (The), Explore the data: Drone strikes in Pakistan, 9 February 2018, url; Dawn, Thousands killed in drone
strikes, terror attacks since 2004, 9 November 2018, url
550 New America, Drone strikes: Pakistan, n.d., url
551 AOAV, Drone strikes and suicide attacks in Pakistan: an analysis, 29 March 2019, url, p. 1
552 TBIJ, Pakistan: reported US strikes 2018, n.d., url
553 Dawn, Taliban commander killed in suspected US drone strike near Pak-Afghan border, 5 July 2018, url
554 TBIJ, Pakistan: reported US strikes 2018, n.d., url; New America, Drone strikes: Pakistan, n.d., url; Pakistan Today, No US
drone strike in Pakistan in 2019: report, 30 December 2019, url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

In September 2015, for the first time, the Pakistani army launched a Pakistani-made drone, a Burraq
Drone, to strike at terrorists in Shawal Valley in former FATA.555 No further information could be foundduring the reporting period.

1.3.3 Impact of COVID-19 on the security situation
On 26 February 2020, the first case of COVID-19 was reported from Karachi in the province of Sindh.
The virus spread into various regions nationwide. In mid-March, the government closed all schools,
banned public gatherings and transport links, locked the national economy, sealed land borders andlimited international flights.556 On 10 August 2020, partial lockdown measures were lifted.557
Asad Hashim stated on 6 July 2020 about the impact of COVID-19 on the security situation in Pakistan
that:‘COVID-19 has dominated the headlines in Pakistan, as elsewhere in the world, but it has not
significantly impacted reporting on security incidents, in my opinion. There have, however,been reports of at least three journalists – two in Balochistan and one in KP province – being
abducted, assaulted and released by security forces allegedly because of their coverage being
critical of the government’s coronavirus response measures.’558
Mansur Khan Mahsud stated the following on 30 June 2020 about COVID-19 and the security situationin the KPTDs:‘It was not easy to report on security situation in the tribal districts of former FATA before
COVID-19 and now due to the outbreak of COVID-19 it has made it more difficult because of
the lockdown and fear in the area. Public transport was closed for many weeks and it was very
difficult to travel from one place to another in the area and secondly people most of the timeremained indoor in their houses to save themselves from the deadly virus and nobody is readyto sit with journalists for interviews or information sharing. COVID-19 has benefited themilitants to move from one place to another and sneak back into their former areas indifferent tribal districts of former FATA because the security forces were busy in controllingthe spread of COVID 19 along the civilian institutions, the local people remained indoor whichgave a perfect chance to the militants in their movement from one place to another in thearea.’559
A July 2020 report about terrorism in Pakistan during COVID-19 stated that sectarian groups have used
the pandemic to encourage sectarian hate.560 In May and June 2020, the frequency and intensity of
militant attacks increased in Pakistan, according to the source, however, is it hard to link this increase
to the outbreak of the virus. The report stated that it shows that militant groups are still able to carryout attacks and try to exploit the socio-economic instability and the preoccupation of the security
forces with managing the outbreak of the virus.561

1.4 Impact of the violence on the civilian population
The first section below describes the figures on casualties of violence in 2019 and the first sevenmonths of 2020. There are several Pakistani organisations that keep count on the casualties562 of

555 Express Tribune (The), Why Pakistan's first drone strike should worry Obama, 1 October 2015, url
556 VoA, Pakistan Lifts Lockdowns, Top UN Diplomat Lauds Anti-Virus Gains, 10 August 2020, url
557 Al Jazeera, Pakistan partial lockdown measures to lift, 10 August 2020, url
558 Hashim, A., email, 6 July 2020. Asad Hashim is a Pakistani journalist covering Pakistan.
559 Mahsud Khan, M., email, 30 June 2020. Mansur Khan Mahsud is the executive director of FRC.
560 Amir Rana, M., Terrorism in Pakistan under Covid-19, NIOC, 24 July 2020, url, p. 19
561 Amir Rana, M., Terrorism in Pakistan under Covid-19, NIOC, 24 July 2020, url, p. 5
562 In this report the term casualties means the sum of the fatalities and injured persons

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

violence (PIPS, PICSS and CRSS); however, the figures vary between organisations. This is related to
the fact that these organisations have varying methods, ground presence and access to information.563
Separate sections describe the targets of violence, the effects of violent incidents on society and thesituation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees.

1.4.1 Figures on casualties in 2019
In 2019, PIPS recorded 433 violent incidents, resulting in 588 deaths and 1 030 injured (including
deaths and injured from ‘terrorist attacks’).564 According to PIPS, 235 civilians, 144 militants and 209
security personnel were killed in 2019.565 The number of people killed in overall incidents of violencein Pakistan decreased by 32 %, from 869 in 2018 to 588 in 2019. The number of people injured inoverall incidents of violence decreased by 32 % from 1 516 in 2018 to 1 030 in 2019.566 A downward
trend was also recorded for the number of deaths of militants: 144 militants in 2019, compared to 191
in 2018, a decrease of 25 %. The number of civilians killed (235) in these violent incidents, also
decreased by about 48 % as compared to 2018 (456). Fatalities among security forces personnel in2019 (209) were 6 % less than the previous year’s fatalities among them (222).567 In addition, the PIPS
data showed that ‘terrorist attacks’ (229) accounted for more than half of all violent incidents in 2019.
The number of people killed in these ‘terrorist attacks’ in 2019 decreased by 40 % compared to
2018.568
PICSS recorded 270 incidents of violence carried out by militants and during counter-insurgency
operations by the state in 2019. In total 393 people were killed: 110 militants, 133 civilians, 150
security forces personnel.569 PICSS reported 687 injured: 506 civilians, 1 militant, 178 security forces
personnel and 2 razakars. Compared to 2018, a more than 43 % decline in deaths and an almost 30 %decrease in injured people.570
Data provided by CRSS showed 679 fatalities and 765 injured from violence in 2019.571 This included
the deaths of 328 civilians, 155 militants, and 196 security officials.572 Compared to 2018, the numberof violence-related fatalities decreased by 31 % according to CRSS.573 CRSS counted 519 fatalities from‘terror attacks’ in 2019.574
Figure 5 gives a comparison of the persons killed in 2018 and in 2019 between the three sources basedon the definitions described in the introduction.
2018 by source

Total killed

Civilians killed

Militants killed

Security forces killed

PIPS575

869

456

191

222

CRSS576

981

521

221

239

563 For a description of these sources, see the introduction
564 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 21
565 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, pp. 24-25
566 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 21
567 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, pp. 24-25
568 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 17
569 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 14
570 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 15
571 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 5
572 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, pp. 8-9
573 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 7
574 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 15
575 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 24
576 CRSS, CRSS Annual Security Report Special Edition 2013 – 2018, March 2019, url, p. 12; CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019,28 January 2020, url, pp. 8-9

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

PICSS577

694

2019 by source

Total killed

PIPS578

588

235

144

209

CRSS579

679

328

155

196

PICSS580

393

133

110

150

356

164

Civilians killed

Militants killed

174
Security forces killed

Figure 5. Comparison of the number of fatalities in 2018 and 2019, based on PIPS, CRSS, PICSS data581

Patterns of casualties in 2019582
Data compiled by CRSS shows certain stability in the number of fatalities throughout most of the year
2019. Most fatalities occurred in January, April and May 2019. December 2019 witnessed the least
fatalities of the year.583
Data compiled by PICSS shows the highest number of fatalities in July and April 2019. PICSS noted anincrease in the numbers of fatalities in the month of October 2019.584

1.4.2 Figures on casualties 1 January 2020 - 31 July 2020
In the first seven months of 2020, PIPS recorded 233 violent incidents, resulting in 710 casualties (308deaths and 402 injured) (including 124 deaths and 224 injured from ‘terrorist attacks’).585
PICSS recorded 187 incidents of violence carried out by militants and during counter-insurgency
operations by the state in 2020. These incidents of violence resulted in 491 casualties (260 deaths,
231 injured).586
Data provided by CRSS showed in total 279 fatalities and 130 injured from violence in the first andsecond quarter of 2020 in Pakistan.587 The total number of casualties for both quarters stood at 409
casualties. CRSS counted the deaths of 89 civilians, 111 militants, and 69 security and government
officials in the first and second quarter of 2020.588
Patterns of casualties 1 January 2020 - 31 July 2020
Data compiled by PICSS showed the highest number of casualties in January 2020. PICSS noted anincrease in the numbers of casualties from April 2020 onwards.589

577 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2018, 19 April 2019, url, pp. 14-15
578 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, pp. 24-25
579 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, pp. 8-9
580 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2018, 19 April 2019, url, p. 14
581 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 24; SATP, Fatalities in Terrorist Violence in Pakistan 2000-2019,

last updated: 5 August 2019, url; CRSS, CRSS Annual Security Report Special Edition 2013 – 2018, March 2019, url, p. 12;
PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2018, 19 April 2019, url, pp. 14-15; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January
2020, url, pp. 24-25; PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 14; CRSS, Annual Security Report
2019, 28 January 2020, url, pp. 8-9
582 In this section the data compiled by CRSS and PICSS are compared, as both sources have collected data throughout 2018
for each month.
583 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url,p. 7
584 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 16
585 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 – data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
586 Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 – data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PICSS
587 Figures fatalities and injured counted together for the first and second quarter- CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020,
First Quarter, 2020, 7 April 2020, url; CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, Second Quarter, 2020, 16 July 2020, url
588 Figures fatalities counted together for the first and second quarter- CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, First Quarter,
2020, 7 April 2020, url; CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, Second Quarter, 2020, 16 July 2020, url
589 Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 – data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PICSS

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Data compiled by CRSS for the first seven months shows that most fatalities occurred in February 2020
followed by January 2020. The least fatalities fell in March 2020.590 According to CRSS, in the second
quarter of 2020 a decrease in casualties (185 casualties in total)591 was recorded compared to the firstquarter of 2020 (224 casualties in total).592 The number of fatalities and injured in Pakistan in thesecond quarter of 2020 was lower than in the first quarter of 2020. In the second quarter of 2020, thenumber of casualties were higher in KP including former FATA, in Sindh and ICT compared to the firstquarter of 2020. In Balochistan and Punjab the number of casualties in the second quarter were lesshigh than in the first quarter of 2020 (see Figure 6).593

250
Quarter 1

200

Quarter 2

150
108

100

25
95

50

87
18
30

28
0
KP - including
FATA

9
Sindh

Balochistan

Punjab

6
3
ICT

0
AJK

0
GB

Figure 6. Violence-related casualties by region Q1, 2020 vs Q2, 2020 based on CRSS data 594

1.4.3 Targets of attacks
Both PIPS and CRSS provided more in-depth information about the affiliations of the victims595 of‘terrorist attacks’ and security operations in Pakistan during the year 2019.
PIPS counted 229 ‘terrorist attacks’ in 2019 in which 357 people were killed and 729 injured. Figure 7
shows in detail the targets of ‘terrorist attacks’ provided by PIPS.
Targets of ‘terrorist attacks’ 2019

No.
incidentsof No.
killedof No. of injured

Security forces/law enforcement

118

209

346

Education/institutions/teachers

2

2

4

Non-Baloch settlers/workers

1

3

1

590 CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, First Quarter, 2020, 7 April 2020, url; CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, Second

Quarter, 2020, 16 July 2020, url
591 Figures fatalities and injured counted together
592 Figures fatalities and injured counted together
593 CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, First Quarter, 2020, 7 April 2020, url; CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, Second
Quarter, 2020, 16 July 2020, url
594 CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, First Quarter, 2020, 7 April 2020, url; CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, Second
Quarter, 2020, 16 July 2020, url
595 A broader description than merely civilians, security personnel and militants

56

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Gas pipelines

3

0

0

Tribal elders

2

3

3

Civilians

39

34

123

Shia religious scholars/community

11

32

72

Worship places/shrines/imam bargahs

2

9

53

Government offices/public property

1

0

10

Sunni religious leaders/community

5

8

3

Political leaders/workers

9

11

19

NGO/civil society

1

2

0

Foreign interest/Diplomats/Foreigners

1

0

0

Unknown

4

3

1

Media/journalists

2

0

3

Health/polio workers, security escorts

6

8

1

Pro-government tribesmen/committee
members

11

13

47

Bohra community

1

3

4

Judges/lawyers/courts

1

0

2

Former militants

2

3

0

Railway tracks/trains

3

4

30

Member of banned groups

1

2

0

Development, explorations projects, companies, 2workers8

6NATO/US supply vehicles

0

1

1

Figure 7. Targets attacked in ‘terrorist attacks’ in 2019, based on PIPS data 596

According to CRSS ‘ordinary citizens’ were the most targeted by militancy, making up almost half ofthe total fatalities in 2019, followed by security personnel and militants.597 CRSS noticed that in thesecond quarter of 2020, fatalities of security personnel and militants rose compared to the firstquarter of 2020. On the other hand, fatalities of civilians declined in the second quarter compared to
the first quarter of 2020.598
Figure 8 shows in detail the victims of ‘terrorist attacks’ and counterterrorism operations provided by

CRSS in 2019 and in the first and second quarter of 2020.

596 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 18
597 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 9
598 CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, Second Quarter, 2020, 16 July 2020, url

57

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Targets of overall incidents

No. of fatalities No. of fatalities No. of fatalities
2019
Q1 2020
Q2 2020

Militants

103

39

41

Criminals

37

11

6

Insurgents

11

3

11

Foreign militants0

Not mentioned

Not mentioned

Others4

Not mentioned

Not mentioned

Security officials

3

24

43

Government officials

193

1

1

Civilians (total of below)

328

62

37

Citizens

281

57

32

Politicians

29

0

3

Religious persons

8

2

1

Religious party member

4

Not mentioned

Not mentioned

Foreigners

3

1

0

Media persons

3

2

1

Social activists

0

Not mentioned

Not mentioned

Figure 8. Victims of ‘terrorist attacks’ and counterterrorism operations in 2019, Q1 2020 and Q2 2020, by CRSS599

Michael Kugelman stated on 6 August 2020 the following about the main targets of militants in 2020:‘Religious minorities continue to be targeted violently in Pakistan, but fortunately not at thelevels of previous years. However, this doesn’t mean they’re not threatened—Shias andespecially Ahmadis, along with Christians and Hindus, continue to face systematic
discrimination. There are reports of religious conversions of Hindus under questionablecircumstances. And blasphemy laws have continued to be exploited by hardliners to target
religious minorities. Pakistan remains a very intolerant place, even if it’s not as violent as it
used to be. Pakistani state targets continued to be vulnerable, as evidenced by the stock
exchange attack. So do Chinese targets (the BLA justified its attack on the stock exchange inpart by noting all the Chinese companies listed in Pakistan’s stock exchange). CPEC workers
and other Chinese nationals will continue to be vulnerable amid this upsurge in separatist
militant sentiment.’600

1.4.4 Effects of violent incidents on society in Pakistan
Landmines, IEDs and other unexploded remnants remain a risk for the population in the tribal districts
and especially for the children.601 In the past residents of the tribal districts addressed this problem.602

599 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 9; CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, Second Quarter,

2020, 16 July 2020, url
600 Kugelman, M., email, 6 August 2020
601 Dawn, Special report: Toying with death, 1 March 2020, url
602 Al Jazeera, Landmines killing people in Pakistan's South Waziristan, 5 February 2018, url; Dawn, Landmines still a threat
in tribal region, claim speakers, 6 April 2019, url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

When the IDPs returned to the tribal districts, the landmines and IEDs were not all removed.603 The
PTM made the clearance of landmines one of its main demands.604 In March 2020, Dawn cited an
activist from Ladha in South Waziristan, who stated that since 2013 landmines in Waziristan caused
110 incidents in which people got injured or killed. The majority of the victims are civilians (especiallychildren women) and security personnel.605 The Landmine Monitor Report of 2019 recorded‘numerous antipersonnel mine incidents in Balochistan and KP’.606 In the summer of 2019, multiple
incidents with landmines claimed the lives of several civilians and security personnel in North andSouth Waziristan.607 Four children were critically injured after a landmine exploded in North
Waziristan on 31 July 2019.608 On 24 August 2019, TNN reported that three children were injured in alandmine explosion in Mohmand tribal districts.609 On 31 August 2019, three children were injured in
two separate IED explosions in North and South Waziristan.610 In May 2020, a landmine explosion in
Kalat in the province of Balochistan killed a boy and injured his father.611 In June 2020, AOAV
recorded 19 civilian casualties due to IEDs.612 On 21 July 2020, 5 children were injured due to alandmine blast in Ladha, South Waziristan.613
Muhammad Nawaz Khan, a research officer at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), statedin January 2020 that ‘owing to the increased militancy and subsequent military operations in Swat,
South and North Waziristan and other parts of Pakistan, the local residents in the conflict areas –particularly the women and children – have been severely affected by social, mental, physical andpsychological trauma and abuse.’614
In 2017 and 2018, Human Rights Watch reported that militant attacks had a devastating impact on
education.615 Human Rights Watch stated that Islamist militant violence had disrupted ‘the educationof hundreds of thousands of children, particularly girls’.616 According to the same source, thegovernment of Pakistan fails ‘to stop or mitigate’ attacks on educational institutes. In November 2018,
Human Rights Watch stated that many girls have no access to education, mainly because of a shortageof government schools and insecurity.617 The organisation also reported that militant attacks had adevastating impact on education. Islamist militant violence disrupted ‘the education of hundreds ofthousands of children, particularly girls’. The government failed to protect schools from such attacks
and prosecute perpetrators.618 Many girls had no access to education because of the insecurity.619
603 IPS, Displaced Pashtuns Return to Find Homes “Teeming” with Landmines, 26 April 2018, url
604 Al Jazeera, Pakistan military warns Pashtun rights group its 'time is up', 30 April 2019, url
605 Dawn, Special report: Toying with death, 1 March 2020, url
606 International Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munition Coalition, Landmine Monitor Report 2019, 21 November

2019, url, p. 13
607 Arab News, Landmine blasts kill five in Pakistan’s tribal areas, 21 August 2019, url; TNN, 3 children injured in Mohmand
landmine blast, 24 August 2019, url; TNN, 3 children injured in 2 landmine blasts in Waziristan, 31 August 2019, url
608 Dawn, Four children hurt in landmine blast, 1 August 2019, url
609 TNN, 3 children injured in Mohmand landmine blast, 24 August 2019, url
610 TNN, 3 children injured in 2 landmine blasts in Waziristan, 31 August 2019, url
611 Express Tribune (The), Landmine blast kills boy, injures father, 14 May 2020, url
612 AOAV, Explosive violence in June 2020, 8 July 2020, url
613 VOA DEEWA, [Twitter], posted on: 21 July 2020, url
614 Nawaz Khan, M., The socio-psychological impact of terrorism on Pakistani society, 30 January 2020, The Asia Dialogue,url
615 HRW, Dreams Turned into Nightmares: Attacks on Students, Teachers, and Schools in Pakistan, 27 March 2017, url; HRW,
Pakistan: Surge in Militant Attacks on Schools, 3 August 2018, url; HRW, Rise in Militant Attacks on Schools in Pakistan, 14
May 2018, url; HRW, Pakistan: Surge in Militant Attacks on Schools, 3 August 2018, url
616 HRW, Pakistan: Surge in Militant Attacks on Schools, 3 August 2018, url
617 HRW, Rise in Militant Attacks on Schools in Pakistan, 14 May 2018, url; HRW, Pakistan: Surge in Militant Attacks on
Schools, 3 August 2018, url; HRW, “Shall I Feed My Daughter, or Educate Her?” Barriers to Girls’ Education in Pakistan, 12
November 2018, url
618 HRW, Dreams Turned into Nightmares: Attacks on Students, Teachers, and Schools in Pakistan, 27 March 2017, url; HRW,
Rise in Militant Attacks on Schools in Pakistan, 14 May 2018, url; HRW, Pakistan: Surge in Militant Attacks on Schools, 3August 2018, url
619 HRW, “Shall I Feed My Daughter, or Educate Her?” Barriers to Girls’ Education in Pakistan, 12 November 2018, url

59

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

During the year 2019, PIPS reported two ‘terrorist attacks’ on educational institutions in the country
which resulted in two deaths and four injured. Both of these attacks occurred in the province of KP.620

1.4.5 Internally Displaced Persons and refugees
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
In its 2020 Global Report on Internal Displacement, the International Displacement Monitoring Centre(IDMC) stated that as of 31 December 2019 the total number of IDPs in Pakistan due to conflict stands
at 106 000.621 IDMC recorded more than 16 000 displacements associated with conflict and violence
Pakistan in 2019. Of the total, 15 000 displacements were caused by an increase in shelling across the
LoC. ‘Intercommunal violence against Hindu communities in Ghotki city and Christian communities in
Karachi displaced hundreds of families in Sindh province.’ The 2020 Global Report on Internal
Displacement stated that violence between different armed groups in the border area between
Afghanistan and north-west Pakistan ended in 2017, but that more than 101 000 people werestill living in displacement in the province of KP at the end of 2019 as a result of law enforcement
operations.622
The IDP data presented in Figure 9 was provided by UNOCHA Pakistan and shows the latest statistics of
IDP families until 9 July 2020.623 Until 9 July 2020, there were still 16 780 families displaced. The
majority of this number are displaced from North Waziristan tribal district (15 666 families) followed
by Khyber tribal district (1 114 families).624
District

Total Families Total
Verifiedby Return
NADRA

Bajaur72 89772 8970

100 %Mohmand

36 75936 7590100 %Khyber91 68990 575

1 114

99 %

Orakzai

35 82335 8230

100 %Kurram33 02433 0240

100 %North Waziristan

108 041

92 37515 66685 %South Waziristan

71 12471 1240100 %Frontier Region Tank

2 228

2 228

0

100 %

45 1585

43 4805

16 780

96 %

Total

Verified Total Remaining Return %Families as IDPs

Figure 9. Overview IDPs Pakistan until 9 July 2020, based on UNOCHA Pakistan data625

USDOS reported in its Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2019 that:‘Many IDPs reportedly wanted to return home, despite the lack of local infrastructure,
housing, and available service delivery and the strict control that security forces maintained
over returnees’ movements through extensive checkpoints. Other IDP families delayed their

620 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 18, p. 36
621 IDMC, GRID 2020 Global Report on Internal Displacement, 28 April 2020, url, p. 104
622 IDMC, GRID 2020 Global Report on Internal Displacement, 28 April 2020, url, p. 50
623 UNOCHA Pakistan, email, 9 July 2020
624 UNOCHA Pakistan, email, 9 July 2020
625 UNOCHA Pakistan, email, 9 July 202060

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

return or chose some family members to remain in the settled areas of KP where regularaccess to health care, education, and other social services were available.’626
Media reports frequently reported in 2019 about the difficult living conditions in IDP camps in Hangu
and Bannu.627 In September 2019, people from Kurram tribal district protested because they still had
not received a compensation for their homes and businesses which were destroyed due to theviolence in the region.628 In June 2019, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA)
announced that 220 million Pakistani rupees would be provided for the people affected by war in
Kurram, Orakzai and the Frontier Region Tank. The money would be provided to those families who
have returned voluntarily to their areas before March 2015.629 In June 2020, TNN cited the Presidentof the Kokikhel Youth Alliance, stating that ‘the displaced people of Tirah, Kokikhel are living amiserable life due to displacement from their area for the last eight years.’630
In the second part of this report, internal displacements are explained in detail and by geographic
division (see 2. Security situation per region).
Afghan refugees
Detailed information about the situation and living conditions of Afghan refugees in Pakistan isavailable in the EASO COI Report: Pakistan- Situation of Afghan refugees (May 2020).
Throughout 2019, there were 6 220 individual voluntary returns from Pakistan to Afghanistan withthe assistance of UNHCR.631 UNHCR reported that between 1 January 2020 and 30 June 2020, 28
registered Afghans returned to Afghanistan.632 In an UNHCR border monitoring update of
11 August 2020, it was stated that IOM reported that since 1 January 2020 1 963 undocumented
Afghan refugees had returned.633

1.5 State ability to secure law and order
In the Rule of Law Index 2020 carried out by the World Justice Project, Pakistan was ranked 120 out
of 128 countries in the world on overall rule-of-law scores. This index was composed based on a setof questionnaires sent to experts and to the public. Pakistan scored very low in several categories:‘right to life and security’, ‘due process of law’, ‘sanctions for official misconduct’, ‘effective
investigations’ and ‘no improper government influence’ in the criminal justice system.634
Muhammad Amir Rana stated in 2018 that Pakistan had ‘a comprehensive constitutional framework
and accompanying legal procedures’ but in practice the rule of law was confined to ‘conventional
concepts of internal security and law enforcement’.635 According to a report by Freedom House thatcovered 2019, the military had an ‘enormous influence’ on national security, foreign policy andeconomic policy.636 Freedom House further stated that corruption, lack of accountability and lack oftransparency were pervasive problems at all levels of government, in politics, and in the military.637

626 USDOS, Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2019 - Pakistan, 11 March 2020, url, p. 28
627 TNN, IDPs suffer as rain damages tents at refugees camps, 3 March 2020, url; Dawn, North Waziristan IDPs to return in

two months, 31 January 2019, url
628 TNN, Hundreds of Kurram families awaiting compensation, 19 September 2019, url
629 TNN, PDMA releases Rs 220 mln for resettlement of IDPs, 13 June 2019, url
630 TNN, Kokikhel affectees demand honourable repatriation and compensation, 25 June 2020, url
631 UNHCR, Pakistan: Afghan Refugee Return Monitoring Update (1 Oct - 31 Dec 2019), 20 January 2020, url
632 UNHCR, Pakistan - Country Fact sheet, Monthly Update (June 2020), 28 July 2020, url, p. 1
633 UNHCR, UNHCR Afghanistan : Border Monitoring Update - 26 July - 08 August 2020, 11 August 2020, url, p. 1
634 World Justice Project, Rule of Law Index 2020, 11 March 2020, url, p. 5, p. 121
635 Amir Rana, M., The rule of law: concept and practices in Pakistan, 26 September 2018, PIPS, url, p. 1
636 Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2020-Pakistan, 4 March 2020, url
637 Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2020-Pakistan, 4 March 2020, url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

1.5.1 Security forces
GeneralThe security forces in Pakistan include the Pakistan Armed Forces, the police, the Pakistan Rangers,
the Levies, the Frontier Corps, Khassadars and others. For a description of these forces, see 1.2.1 State
armed forces.
According to Mohammad Amir Rana, the government of Pakistan engaged, parallel to the security
forces, paramilitary forces to fight terrorism and other security threats. Each province in Pakistan had
such parallel security forces.638 The military and the paramilitary forces also took up the role of law
enforcement. Mohammad Amir Rana stated further that such ‘temporary or situationalarrangement’s’ contributed in the state’s lack of political will to reform and empower civilian law
enforcement structures.639 One example was the Rangers in Karachi; another example was the FC andarmy in Balochistan and tribal districts who took control of security as well as law enforcement,‘parallel to existing, though weak, law enforcement structures’.640
As many as 118 ‘terrorist attacks’ or 52 % of the total number of ‘terrorist attacks’ (229) reported in2019 by PIPS, targeted security forces and law-enforcement agencies across Pakistan.641 In 2019, 209
security force personnel were killed and 346 injured in ‘terrorist attacks’ according to PIPS.642 As stated
by PICSS, in the first seven months of 2020, 78 security force personnel were killed and 71 injured.643
Capacity
According to an article by the Express Tribune in June 2019, the federal government proposed abouta 12 % increase in the defence budget for 2020-2021. Most of the defence budget, apart from fighting
terrorism, is Indian-centric.644 The capacity building of law enforcement agencies, especially the police,
was a long-standing problem.645 The Pakistani police was under-resourced, and lacked equipment.646
Efforts were made to reform the police but as of Mid-2018, effective police reforms were still not inplace.647 In light of the COVID-19 outbreak in Pakistan, an article published by USIP stated that thepolice is under-resourced and poorly trained to cope with the health restrictions. USIP stated: ‘With
only outdated legal frameworks and conventional training and education to rely on, the police havelargely responded to violations with corporal punishment, detentions, and arrests—actions that havebeen reported by the media and widely condemned.’648 Paramilitary forces such as the FC, the Levies
and the Khassadars in former FATA lacked training and capacity building.649 After the merger ofKhassadars and Levies forces with the KP police, personnel of both forces began training in May 2019
in order to be able to perform responsibilities in tribal districts in an efficient manner.650
In September 2018, Mohammad Amir Rana described the effectiveness of the security forces asfollows:

638 Amir Rana, M., The rule of law: concept and practices in Pakistan, 26 September 2018, PIPS, url, p. 2
639 Amir Rana, M., The rule of law: concept and practices in Pakistan, 26 September 2018, PIPS, url, pp. 1-2
640 Amir Rana, M., The rule of law: concept and practices in Pakistan, 26 September 2018, PIPS, url, pp. 1-2
641 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 17
642 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 18
643 Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 – data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PICSS
644 Express Tribune (The), Defence budget up by 11.9% amid tensions with India, 12 June 2020, url
645 Amir Rana, M., The rule of law: concept and practices in Pakistan, 26 September 2018, PIPS, url, pp. 2-3
646 Amir Rana, M., The rule of law: concept and practices in Pakistan, 26 September 2018, PIPS, url, p. 3
647 Sarfraz, Z., Revisiting Police Reforms in Pakistan: A Critical Analysis, 2018, Journal of the Punjab University Historical

Society Volume No. 31, Issue No. 1, January - June 2018, url, p. 259
648 Waseem, Z. and Rafiq, A., Coronavirus Pandemic Puts Police in the Spotlight in Pakistan, 16 June 2020, USIP, url
649 Dawn, Policing Fata, 5 April 2018, url
650 TNN, KP police start training Khasadar, levies personnel, 16 May 2019, url

62Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation‘The interaction and coordination between military and civilian law enforcement agencies has
also not been good, thus exposing some deeper structural issues linked to the rule of law andlaw enforcement in the country. Indeed, paramilitary forces have been encroaching on civilian
law-and-order affairs and strengthening their institutional and moral authority. On the other
hand, civilian law-enforcement agencies have become so weak that they cannot even clarify
their position in certain instances where they could not act due to dominant role played byparamilitaries.’651
USIP stated in April 2019 that the Pakistani police had been struggling with a ‘poor relationship withthe public categorized by mistrust and mistreatment’. As a result, ‘effective policing’ was hindered.652
Freedom House stated in March 2020 that the police was ‘accused of biased or arbitrary handling of
initial criminal complaints’. Both the police and the prosecution service were ‘criticised for a chronic
failure to prosecute terrorism cases’.653 An October 2019 joint report of the Human Rights Commission
Pakistan (HRCP) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) stated that the police lacks
training to handle evidence in criminal cases.654
Integrity
HRCP and FIDH stated that police officers are susceptible to pressure of the community to arrest andensure convictions, especially in high level cases.655 Corruption also exist within the police force inPakistan.656 According to Newsline Magazine, the Pakistani police has the reputation of lacking internaland external accountability, of corruption at the highest levels and for being influenced bypoliticians.657 In April 2020, Tribal News Network (TNN) reported that for the first time in the tribal
districts the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police suspended approximately 70 policemen and dismissed threeothers in Khyber tribal district over charges of corruption.658
The Pakistani military was involved in many spheres of the economy. Besides this, the Pakistani Armyplayed a dominant role in domestic politics.659 The balance between the civilian government and themilitary leadership was complex. The army was accused of meddling in the elections in 2018.660 In
February 2019, the Supreme Court of Pakistan criticised the army for its role and for exceeding theirmandate in the blasphemy protests of 2017.661 The Diplomat stated in June 2019 that sympathisers ofjihadist groups like Islamic State and LeJ are present within the army.662
Abuse of power, ill treatment, use of excessive force, disappearances, and extrajudicial killings
Security forces reportedly engaged in arrests without warrants, detention for long periods before
seeing a judge and detaining people in secret locations.663 The PTM movement accused the army ofusing excessive force during a demonstration on 26 May 2019 when at least three people were killed
as a result of violence between Pashtun activists and the army.664

651 Amir Rana, M., The rule of law: concept and practices in Pakistan, 26 September 2018, PIPS, url, p. 4
652 USIP, The Current Situation in Pakistan A USIP Fact Sheet, 1 April 2019, url
653 Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2020-Pakistan, 4 March 2020, url
654 HRCP and FIDH, Punished for being vulnerable; How Pakistan executes the poorest and the most marginalized in society,8 October 2019, url, p. 18
655 HRCP and FIDH, Punished for being vulnerable; How Pakistan executes the poorest and the most marginalized in society,8 October 2019, url, p. 20
656 International News (The), Inefficiency and corruption blotch police, 17 June 2019, url
657 Newsline Magazine (Sumbul, D.), Seeds of Police Reform, 20 May 2019, url
658 TNN, First time policemen in merged districts face axe over corruption, 21 April 2020, url
659 Foreign Policy, Poor Nation, Rich Army, 21 March 2019, url
660 New York Times (The), Military’s Influence Casts a Shadow Over Pakistan’s Election, url; BBC Reality Check, The politicalinfluence of Pakistan's powerful army [online video], 18 August 2018, url
661 Gandhara, Pakistan's Top Court Tells Army To Stay Out Of Politics, Media, 6 February 2019, url
662 Diplomat (The), Islamic State Comes for South Asia, 18 June 2019, url
663 New York Times (The), In Pakistan, Detainees Are Vanishing in Covert Jails, 26 July 2015, url
664 HRW, Pakistan: Investigate North Waziristan Deaths Uphold Rights of Region’s Pashtun Population, 30 May 2019, url

63Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Unlawful and extrajudicial killings by Pakistani law enforcement agencies were also reported byAmnesty International.665 HRCP documented police-encounters in Punjab and KP in 2019.666 In January
2019, the police shot a family in their car near Sahiwal, reportedly acting upon intelligence thatclaimed the family was accompanied by a ‘terrorist’.667
BBC News reported in May 2018 on disappearances and unlawful detentions of Shia’s, Sunni jihadists,
ethnic nationalist activists, and secular critics of the Pakistani military establishment.668 In addition,
Deutsche Welle reported in July 2019 about the disappearances of Shiites apparently carried out by
the country's intelligence agencies as stated by Shiite organisations and activists.669 At the end of June
2020, protest broke out in Sindh because of the fact that more than 200 Sindhis and Mohajirs
belonging to MQM and different groups of Jiye Sindh have been arrested and not brought before
court.670
Between 2011 and end of May 2020, the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (CIED;
an official commission of inquiry on enforced disappearances, led by a retired judge) registered 6 674
people as missing. At the end of May 2020, 2 130 cases were still pending with the Commission.671
According to Freedom House, there was ‘no sign of the commission’s deliberations leading to any
effective sanctions against the agencies undertaking the disappearances’.672 According to a report of
AI covering 2019 political activists, students, journalists, human rights defenders and Shi’a Muslims
are the victims of enforced disappearances, particularly in Sindh and Balochistan.673
Torture and ill treatment in detention to obtain confessions or during investigations continued toremain a serious issue according to sources.674 On 2 June 2019, BBC News published a report that
discussed Pakistan's long battle with militants in the past. The report stated that ‘tens of thousands ofpeople’ had been killed during Pakistan’s long battle with militants as part of the post-9/11 war on
terror and that ‘evidence of murder and torture by soldiers and insurgents is emerging.’675 In
September 2019, Deutsche Welle stated that there is no reliable data on custodial deaths in Pakistan,but ‘human rights groups point to a spike in police torture cases.’ According to Deutsche Welle ‘they
say that the “culture” of police torture is more prevalent in Pakistan's most populous Punjab provincethan in other parts of the country.’676
Pakistan has not yet enacted a law to criminalise custodial torture, however Pakistan is a signatory to
the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment(UNCAT).677 In October 2019, Human Rights Watch stated that Pakistan introduced a bill, The Tortureand Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Act 2019, to make torture by the police a criminal
offense for the first time.678 The Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Bill 2020,
tabled in February 2020, is pending before a Senate committee.679

665 AI, Sahiwal shootings: The rot goes as deep as the roots, 31 January 2019, url
666 HRCP, State of Human Rights in 2019, 30 April 2020, url, p. 26, p. 125
667 BBC News, Sahiwal shooting: How a Pakistani boy exposed police for killing his family, 23 January 2019, url
668 BBC News, The story of Pakistan's 'disappeared' Shias, 31 May 2018, url
669 DW, Why are Pakistani Shiites 'disappearing'?, 9 July 2019, url
670 WION, Massive protest in Karachi against enforced disappearances in Sindh, 28 June 2020, url
671 Dawn, Thousands still missing, 4 June 2020, url
672 Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2020-Pakistan, 4 March 2020, url
673 AI, Human Rights in Asia-Pacific Review of 2019 - Pakistan, 30 January 2020, url
674 BBC News, Uncovering Pakistan's secret human rights abuses, 2 June 2019, url; Dawn, View from the courtroom: No

legislation yet to criminalise custodial torture accessed, 1 July 2019, url; News on Sunday (The), Police’s third degree
methods, 15 March 2020, url
675 BBC News, Uncovering Pakistan's secret human rights abuses, 2 June 2019, url
676 DW, Deaths in custody — the culture of police torture in Pakistan, 18 September 2019, url
677 Dawn, View from the courtroom: No legislation yet to criminalise custodial torture accessed, 1 July 2019, url
678 HRW, Pakistan Could Make Torture A Crime, 10 October 2019, url
679 International News (The), Call to criminalise police torture, 26 June 2020, url

64Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

1.5.2 Judiciary and legal system
Structure of the judiciary
The formal court system, as established by the Constitution, consists of the Supreme Court, High
Courts in the four provinces and Islamabad, session courts in each district and a federal Shariat
Court.680
Capacity
In December 2019, an article published by The Asia Foundation stated that around 1.7 million cases
were pending in the courts in Pakistan.681 As of 15 January 2020, 42 927 cases were pending with theSupreme Court, according to the Express Tribune.682 The lack of capacity in the judiciary to deal withcases was also rooted in vast numbers of detainees, detentions without documentation, slow legal
processing times, lack of use of bail provisions, and lack of information sharing.683 According to The
Nation, Pakistan lacks a severe amount of judges and many posts are vacant in the district and highcourts.684
Pakistanis in some rural areas avoided Pakistani civil and criminal courts and instead relied on tribal
dispute settlement of private issues, especially in rural areas. This was largely due to lack of access tojustice, lack of trust in the judiciary or because of lack of social status and financial resources for someparts of the population.685
Integrity
The Pakistan judiciary is susceptible to corruption, bribery, political interference, and pressure frompolitical groups and the army.686 Appointments and court decisions were influenced by politicalinfluence and favouritism.687 The Pakistani judiciary was described by several sources as having
restricted independence and impartiality with a weak and dependent nature.688 Judicial officials andlawyers faced ‘significant pressure’, intimidation, and violence, particularly for cases of organised
crime, corruption or related to blasphemy.689

1.5.3 Anti-Terrorism Acts and military courts
Anti-Terrorism Acts
On 24 February 2014, the government announced an internal security policy for a five-year period.
This policy focused mainly on securing urban centres, while it often did not mention the situation informer FATA and Balochistan. It referred to dialogue with all stakeholders for madrassa reforms,

680 Courting the Law, Criminal Justice System In Pakistan: A Critical Analysis, 15 February 2017, url; Government of Pakistan,

The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 13 February 2019, url, article 175, article 213
681 Asia Foundation (The), Alternative Dispute Resolution Gains Traction in Pakistan, 18 December 2019, url
682 Express Tribune (The), Pendency of cases in SC hits highest level in country’s history, 7 February 2020, url
683 UN Human Rights Committee, Concluding observations on the initial report of Pakistan, 23 August 2017, url, par. 31;
Express Tribune (The), Judicial reforms for a competitive Pakistan, 16 January 2019, url
684 Nation (The), Shortage of judges increasing burden on judiciary, 22 January 2020, url
685 NPR, Tribal Council Orders 'Revenge Rape' In Pakistan, 27 June 2017, url; Asia Foundation (The), Alternative Dispute
Resolution Gains Traction in Pakistan, 18 December 2019, url
686 RFE/RL, Pakistani Lawyers Protest Gov’t Case Against Top Judge, 3 June 2019, url
687 Pakistan Today, Political influence, favouritism behind elevation of high court judges, suggest lawyers, 29 April 2019, url
688 Nation (The), Pakistan’s flawed justice system, 19 June 2018, url; Daily Times, Reforming the judicial system, 8 March
2019, url; Daily Times, Modern justice system and Pakistan, 21 February 2019, url; Dawn, Crisis of the judiciary, 17 July 2019,url
689 International News (The), Recent incidents targeting Pakistani, global judges and family members, 16 April 2019, url; HRCP
and FIDH, Punished for being vulnerable; How Pakistan executes the poorest and the most marginalized in society, 8 October
2019, url, pp. 22-23

65

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

militants’ rehabilitation and deradicalisation.690 A primary target of the security policy was isolating
terrorists. The National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) was supposed to carry out tasks ranging
from counterterrorism to political and operational interventions. In February 2014, the government
was still engaged in peace talks with the Taliban, and the security policy proved insufficient once themilitary operation in North Waziristan started and the country fell victim to retaliatory attacks by the
militants.691
The December 2014 militant attack on the Peshawar Army Public School served as a catalyst forpolitical consensus when former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif convened an all parties’ conference the
day after the attack.692 This led, in the same month, to consultation with all political parties, to theestablishment of a National Action Plan (NAP) to eliminate terrorism from Pakistan.693 Later in
December 2014, Nawaz Sharif announced the formation of a federal counterterrorism force withimmediate effect.694 The political and security establishment set up temporary military courts to try
terrorism-related offences instead of pursuing the cases via an independent judiciary.695 The
implementation of the NAP was not effective in 2019.696 PIPS evaluated that it had only met its goals
in some areas. In November 2018, the government of Pakistan announced the formation of ‘a newversion’ of the NAP and to restructure the NACTA to effectively tackle internal threats to security.697
Military courts
In January 2015, the 21st Constitutional Amendment Bill and the Pakistani Army Amendment Act 2015
were signed. Those amendments gave military courts the jurisdiction for two years to convict civilians
for terrorism-related offences.698 In August 2015, the Supreme Court upheld the parliamentary bill.699
The military courts were disbanded on 7 January 2017 after the legal provision expired. In
March 2017, the Parliament, the Senate and the President passed legislation to reinstate the military
courts for a two-year period.700 On 30 March 2019, the military courts’ jurisdiction over civilians forterrorism-related offences ceased.701 The government failed to get support from opposition parties
for a constitutional amendment to extend the jurisdiction of military courts again.702 No information
was found on new legislation on this matter. According to a report by the International Commissionof Jurists (ICJ) of January 2019, military courts had since January 2015 convicted 641 people forterrorism-related offences, out of which 345 people were sentenced to death and 296 people were
given prison sentences. At least 56 people were hanged while only five people were acquitted.703
Sources criticised the establishment of the military courts in the past and warned that those courts
could be used as a mechanism against political dissidents or groups that had disturbed the military.704

690 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2014, 2015, url, pp. 42-43
691 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2014, 2015, url, pp. 42-43
692 Express Tribune (The), Fight against terrorism: Defining moment, 25 December 2014, url
693 Express Tribune (The), Fight against terrorism: Defining moment, 25 December 2014, url; CRSS, The NAP Tracker The Third

Year Audit of the National Action Plan, June 2018, url
694 Dawn, Nawaz constitutes special committee to implement national Action Plan, 26 December 2014, url
695 Dawn, Military Courts part of National Action Plan: PM Nawaz, 30 December 2014, url; Economist (The), The man withthe plan: Pakistan after the school massacre, 24 January 2015, url
696 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 13, p. 29
697 Dawn, Interior ministry to unveil a new version of National Action Plan, 28 November 2018, url
698 International Crisis Group, Revisiting Counter-terrorism Strategies in Pakistan: Opportunities and Pitfalls n°271, 22 July
2015, url, p. 3
699 DW, Pakistan’s military courts - a solution or a problem?, 7 August 2015, url
700 BBC News, Pakistan to reinstate secret military courts despite criticism, 22 March 2017, url; Dawn, Military courts resume
in Pakistan, 31 March 2017, url
701 ICJ, Military Injustice in Pakistan-Briefing Paper, January 2019, url, p. 3; Dawn, Military courts cease to function today, 31
March 2019, url
702 Dawn, Military courts cease to function today, 31 March 2019, url
703 ICJ, Military Injustice in Pakistan-Briefing Paper, January 2019, url, p. 5
704 Dawn, Govt, opposition discussing military courts’ extension, 14 March 2019, url; HRCP, Military courts are antidemocratic, 12 January 2019, url

66Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

1.5.4 Detention and death penalty
Detention
According to statistics provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross, the total prison
population of Pakistan as of 30 September 2019, including pre-trial detainees and remand prisoners
was 77 275.705 According to the Express Tribune 65 % of the prison population in Pakistan are undertrial prisoners. A report by the Prime Minister’s Prisoners Reforms Committee (PPAC) stated that isdue to a slow judiciary systemic and failure of the criminal justice system. The staff in prisons areunderpaid, under-trained and overburdened.706
Several sources reported that security, overcrowding, and health and hygiene conditions continued
to be a challenge in prisons.707 Torture remained a widespread practice in police detention,interrogation cells and in prisons.708
Death penalty
In December 2014, in the aftermath of the attack on a school in Peshawar, the Pakistan authorities
partially lifted a ‘de facto informal moratorium’ on the death penalty that had been in place since2008. On 10 March 2015, the Pakistani government declared that executions would resume for all
capital crimes.709
According to data of Justice Project Pakistan, a non-profit human rights law firm based in Pakistan, in
2019, Pakistan’s official death row population stood at 4 225.710 An October 2019 joint report of HRCP
and FIDH stated that a death row prisoner spends an average of eleven years in prison. This is due tothe backlog in cases.711
Pakistan was the leading country in the Asia-Pacific region that imposed and carried out state
executions according to Amnesty International’s 2020 report on death sentences and executions(covering 2019).712 According to data compiled by Justice Project Pakistan, Pakistan executed 518
prisoners since December 2014 until December 2019.713 Amnesty International (AI) recorded in 2019
in the country ‘at least’ 14 executions. This is the same number as compared to 2018.714

705 World Prison Brief, World Prison Brief data, Pakistan, last updated: 30 September 2019, url
706 Express Tribune (The), Under-trial prisoners ‘victims of slow judicial system’, 10 February 2020, url
707 National Counter Terrorism Agency, Cursor of Development and Education Pakistan, International Committee of the Red

Cross, May 2018, Addressing Overcrowding in Prisons by Reducing Pre-Conviction Detention in Pakistan, url; Express Tribune(The), Under-trial prisoners ‘victims of slow judicial system’, 10 February 2020, url; HRCP, State of Human Rights in 2019, 30
April 2020, url, p. 9; HRCP, Citizens-COVID 19-Government: Pakistan’s Response, 19 July 2020, url, pp. 28-29
708 Dawn, Speakers call for legislation on torture, 27 June 2019, url
709 Diplomat (The), Pakistan and the Death Penalty, 21 April 2016, url; Economist (The), The man with the plan: Pakistan after
the school massacre, 24 January 2015, url; Justice Project Pakistan, Counting Executions, 6 July 2017, url, p. 1
710 Justice Project Pakistan, Pakistan's Reported Death Row Population Over The Years, n.d., url
711 HRCP and FIDH, Punished for being vulnerable; How Pakistan executes the poorest and the most marginalized in society,8 October 2019, url, p. 28
712 AI, Death sentences and executions 2019, 21 April 2020, url, p. 21
713 Justice Project Pakistan, Death Penalty Database (Executions), n.d., url
714 AI, Death sentences and executions 2019, 21 April 2020, url, p. 28

67

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

2. Security situation per region
2.1 Geographical overview of the violence
2.1.1 Trends in regional violence
ACLED provides a publicly available dataset to assess the geographical spread of violent incidents. The
maps in this section are based on the ACLED dataset715, which contains data about security-related
incidents in Pakistan.
Map 2 and Map 3 show an overview of the violence in Pakistan by type of event for 2019 and the firstseven months of 2020: battles, Explosions/Remote violence and violence against civilians.

Map 2: Battles, violence against civilians and explosions/remote violence in Pakistan 2019, based on ACLED data716

In 2019, most security incidents were coded by ACLED in the province of KP (349), the province ofSindh (209), the province of Punjab (182) and the province of Balochistan (121). The lowest number

715 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Cedoca analysis based on

publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan; Event types: battles,
explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2019-31 July 2020), url
716 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2019-31 December 2019), url

68Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situationof security incidents were recorded in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (96), the Federal Capital of Islamabad(13) and Gilgit-Baltistan (2).717
According to ACLED in 2019, (see Map 2) the event type battles occurred the most in the provinces KP(122), Sindh (87) and in Azad Kashmir (71). Most explosions/remote violence occurred in the provinces
KP (103), Balochistan (51) and in Azad Kashmir (19). Violence against civilians occurred the most in theprovinces KP (124), Sindh (117) and in Punjab (113).718
Map 3 shows the violence by type of event for the first seven months of 2020.

Map 3: Battles, violence against civilians and explosions/remote violence in Pakistan, 01/01/2020-31/07/2020, based on
ACLED data719

717 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;

Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2019-31 December 2019), url
718 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2019-31 December 2019), url
719 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2020-31 July 2020), url

69Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Most security incidents in the first half of 2020 were recorded in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (78), theprovince of KP (73), the province Balochistan (65) and the province of Sindh (28). The lowest numberof security incidents were recorded in Punjab (12) the Federal Capital of Islamabad (2) and GilgitBaltistan (2).720
According to ACLED in the time period 1 January until 31 July 2020 (see Map 3), the event type battles
occurred the most in the provinces Azad Kashmir (68), KP (44) and Balochistan (27). Most
explosions/remote violence in the provinces Balochistan (18), KP (17) and in Azad Kashmir (9).
Violence against civilians occurred the most in the provinces Balochistan (19), Sindh (12) and in KP(11).721

2.1.2 Regional comparison of violence-related casualties
Regional comparison of violence-related casualties in 2019
This section provides figures of fatalities and attacks at regional level, according to the four sources as
described in the Introduction. It is impossible to present the figures in one comparative table, as thethree main sources about the security situation use different parameters and definitions.
PIPS only gave regional details for ‘terrorist attacks’ in its year report of 2019, which made up about
53 % of all violent incidents. PIPS focused on the number of terrorist attacks (and consequent fatalities
per province, and indicated percentage changes in 2019 compared to 2018, see Figure 10). Compared
to 2018, PIPS observed a decrease in ‘terrorist incidents’ (13 % overall). The number of deaths andinjured also decreased. Balochistan and KP (including former FATA) were most affected by these
attacks in 2019 (see Figure 10).722
RegionNo of% change

No of % change
killedNoof % change
injuredterrorist
incidents
2019
Balochistan

84

27% ↘

171

52% ↘

436

25% ↘

Karachi

10

11% ↗

14

22% ↘

2

87%↘

KP
(including 125
former FATA)

No
Change

145

26% ↘

249

34% ↘

Punjab

5

25% ↗

21

5% ↗

41

5% ↗

Sindh

4

33% ↗

4

300% ↗

0100% ↘

Islamabad

1

-

2

-

1

-

Total

229

13 % ↘

357

40% ↘

729

29% ↘

(excl. Karachi)

Figure 10. ‘Terrorist attacks’ by region - 2019 vs. 2018, based on PIPS data723

720 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;

Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2020-31 July 2020), url
721 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2020-31 July 2020), url
722 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 22
723 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 20, p. 22

70

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

CRSS recorded most of the casualties in Balochistan, followed by KP (including former FATA) and
Balochistan in 2019.724 According to CRSS, in comparison with 2018, the province of Punjab witnessedmore casualties in 2019.725
Figure 11 presents a comparative regional analysis by CRSS of violence–related casualties in Pakistan in

2019.726

GB 0
AJK 8
ICT

2

Punjab82

Balochistan

66
226

Sindh

101

25

KP - including FATA

262
0

Fatalities

395

100

269
200

300

400

500

600

700

Injuries

Figure 11. Comparative regional analysis casualties 2019, based on CRSS data727

PICSS gives data for the overall incidents per region. In 2019, in total 270 overall incidents wereobserved. In 2019, 393 people were killed and 687 others injured. PICSS documented most of thecasualties due to overall incidents (terrorist and other violent incidents) in Balochistan, followed byformer FATA and the province of KP.728
Regional comparison of violence-related casualties 1 January – 31 July 2020
710 casualties were recorded by PIPS in 233 incidents of overall violence during the first seven monthsof 2020. Data from PIPS indicated that most casualties of overall incidents in the first half of 2020 took
place in KP (276 casualties), followed by Balochistan (239 casualties) and Azad Kashmir (118
casualties).729
According to PICSS in total 491 casualties were recorded in 187 incidents of overall violence in the firstseven months of 2020. According to PICSS most casualties were counted in the province of KP (243casualties), the province of Balochistan (181) and the province of Punjab (35).730
According to the first and the second quarterly report of CRSS, most casualties in the first half of 2020
occurred in KP including former FATA followed by Balochistan and Punjab.731

724 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 5
725 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 5
726 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 6
727 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 6
728 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, pp. 16-17
729 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
730 Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PICSS
731 CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, First Quarter, 2020, 7 April 2020, url; CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, Second

Quarter, 2020, 16 July 2020, url

71Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Figure 12 presents a comparative regional analysis by CRSS of violence–related casualties in Pakistan
in the first half of 2020 (quarter 1 and quarter 2 of 2020).

GB 0
AJK 0
ICT
Punjab

14

Balochistan

16

6 12

40

Sindh

9

26

KP - including FATA

47

74

21
50

Injuries Q1420Fatalities Q1

21

Fatalities Q2

83
100

25
150

200

Injuries Q2

Figure 12. Comparative regional analysis of the casualties Q1, 2020 and Q2, 2020, based on CRSS data732

2.2 Security trends per geographic subdivision
In the following sections, security trends are explained in greater detail, per geographic subdivision.
In each provincial section, a general description of the province contains information on thegeography and population, on the background of the conflict, including the actors of the conflict in
the province. The subsections describe recent trends in the security situation, including the nature ofviolence, frequency, targets, locations, and victims within a timeframe from 1 August 2019 until
31 July 2020. A separate part is dedicated to displacements. Under the subsections several incidents
are described. These should be read as illustrations of trends in the security situation and not as an
exhaustive list of incidents.

2.2.1 Punjab
General description of the province
Punjab province (see Map 1) is located in the east of Pakistan. It borders the Indian state of Jammu
and Kashmir in the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan in the east, the province ofSindh in the south, Balochistan and KP provinces in the west, Islamabad Federal Capital area and Azad
Kashmir in the north.733 Punjab can be distinguished in three zones: central, north and south Punjab
with Lahore being the provincial capital. ‘The military headquarters are in Northern Punjab, and it
maintains most of its forces in the province.’ The southern parts of Punjab are among the poorest
areas in the country.734 Lahore is the second biggest city of Pakistan, after Karachi (Sindh province).735
732 CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, First Quarter, 2020, 7 April 2020, url; CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, Second

Quarter, 2020, 16 July 2020, url
733 Diplomat (The), How Land Reform Can Help Reduce Terrorism in Pakistan, 21 June 2018, url; UNOCHA, Pakistan-Overview
map [map], 3 December 2018, url
734 Dawn, 20pc of Pakistanis live in 10 cities, census reveals, 29 August 2017, url; McGill International Review (The), South
Punjab – Neglected and Politicized, 4 April 2019, url
735 Dawn, 20pc of Pakistanis live in 10 cities, census reveals, 29 August 2017, url

72

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Lahore is seen as the ‘heart of political and economic activity’ in Pakistan.736 Lahore has strong
development capacities and a good infrastructure.737 According to the latest population census figures
published by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics in 2017, the population of the province wasapproximately 110 million.738
Background of the violence and actors in the Punjab
International Crisis Group mentioned in 2016 that southern Punjab was considered as the region
where militant networks and extremists were present in the province of Punjab.739 Anti-India groups
such as LeT740 and JeM have their headquarters and religious facilities in southern Punjab.741 In
March 2019, in response to the Pulwama attack in Indian-administrated Kashmir, the Pakistaniauthorities made arrests and seized assets linked to militants to this attack in the province of
Punjab.742 The newspaper the Nation stated in April 2018 that the TTP, al-Qaeda and ISKP were posing‘a serious threat’ to the province.743 According to PIPS, arrests of ISKP militants confirmed the group’s
presence in Punjab province during 2018.744 The CTD of Punjab continued with operations against
militants in Punjab province during 2019 and the first half of 2020. Media agencies reported aboutarrests or killings of suspicious militants of the TTP, HuA, LeJ and ISKP by the Punjab CTD.745
Description of recent security trends
ACLED collected data on 182 violent events in Punjab province in the year 2019, 63 of which werecoded as battles, 6 as explosions/remote violence and 113 as violence against civilians. Lahore stoodout as the district where most incidents were reported with 30 violent events, followed by Rawalpindi
with 25 violent events.746
In 2019, PIPS counted five ‘terrorist attacks’, compared to four in 2018.747 Three attacks were carriedout by HuA and two by BLA and BRAS. These attacks occurred in Lahore, Rawalpindi and the southern
districts Rahim Yar Khan and Rajanpur.748 PICSS observed also five militant attacks in 2019, the same
number as compared to 2018.749
Asad Hashim stated on 6 July 2020 about the security situation in 2019: ‘In Punjab province, thecountry’s most populous region, security incidents were relatively limited in 2019. A major suicidebombing targeting a Sufi shrine in the provincial capital Lahore killed 13 people in May 2019. Most
major attacks in Punjab were claimed by the HuA splinter faction of the TTP.’750

736 South Asian Voices, What the case of Punjab says about Pakistan’s counterterrorism policy, 29 June 2018, url
737 McGill International Review (The), South Punjab – Neglected and Politicized, 4 April 2019, url
738 Pakistan, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Provisional Summary Results of 6th Population & Housing Census-2017, 25 August

2017, url
739 International Crisis Group, Pakistan’s Jihadist Heartland: Southern Punjab, 30 May 2016, url
740 Jamestown Foundation (The), Pakistan’s Jamaat-ud-Dawa Positions Itself for Politics, 12 October 2017, url
741 Reuters, Explainer: Jaish-e-Mohammad, the Pakistan-based militants, at heart of tension with India, 15 February 2019,
url; Guardian (The), Pakistan launches major crackdown on extremist groups, 8 March 2019, url
742 Guardian (The), Pakistan launches major crackdown on extremist groups, 8 March 2019, url; AP News (Gannon, K.),
Popular support for militants complicates Pakistan crackdown, 8 March 2019, url
743 Nation (The), Qaeda, TTP, Daesh posing serious threat to Punjab: CTD head, 5 April 2018, url
744 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 112
745 Dunya News, CTD arrests three terrorists of banned outfit from Sialkot, DG Khan, 27 May 2019, url; VoA, Pakistan Says it
Struck a Blow Against Islamic State-Khorasan, 21 June 2019, url; Dawn, CTD arrests three suspects in Punjab, 16 November
2019, url; Dawn, CTD arrests three militants, seizes arms, explosives, 4 February 2020, url
746 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Punjab; Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2019-31 December 2019),
url
747 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 50; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url,
p. 49
748 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 51
749 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 48
750 Hashim, A., email, 6 July 202073

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

From 1 January 2020 to 31 July 2020 ACLED coded 12 violent events in Punjab province. 7 of whichwere coded as battles, 1 as explosions/remote violence and 4 as violence against civilians.751 In thistimeframe in the districts of Rawalpindi and Guranwala two violent events in each of the districts werecounted.752
From 1 January to 31 July 2020, PIPS counted 9 incidents of which 5 were recorded as ‘terrorist
attacks’ in Punjab.753 PICSS mentioned 16 incidents of overall violence and 7 out of these 16 incidents
were marked as militant attacks.754
In January 2020, two policemen were killed in a shootout in Saddar, Rawalpindi. Dawn stated that theperpetrators were linked to JuA.755 On 12 March 2020, seven persons were injured, when an IED
exploded in Saddar Bazaar area in Rawalpindi.756 On 12 June 2020, a similar incident occurred in
Saddar Bazaar in Rawalpindi, which killed one person and injured fifteen.757
Impact of the violence on the civilian population
CRSS counted 148 casualties (82 fatalities and 66 injured) in Punjab in 2019, a considerable decrease
compared to 2018 (288 casualties).758 According to different sources, most casualties were security
forces and civilians, followed by militants.759
CRSS counted in total 48 casualties (20 fatalities, 28 injured) in the first and second quarter analysis
report of 2020. In the second quarter of 2020, fatalities decreased in the province by approximately
57 % (from 14 to 6 fatalities) compared to the first quarter of 2020. The number of injured also
decreased (from 16 to 12 injured) during the second quarter of 2020.760
Displacement
Among the consulted sources there was no information found about any conflict-induced
displacement from areas in and to Punjab in 2019 and the first seven months of 2020.761

2.2.2 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (including former FATA)
General description of the province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (see Map 1) is situated in the north of Pakistan and borders Afghanistan in thewest, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in the east and north-east and Punjab province in the south-

751 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;

Punjab; Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2020-31 July 2020), url
752 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2020-31 July 2020), url
753 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
754 Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PICSS
755 Dawn, Two policemen martyred in Saddar, suspected shooter killed, 8 January 2020, url; Dawn, Suspected shooter in
Saddar attack affiliated with Jamaatul Ahrar: police, 9 January 2020, url
756 Dawn, Blast leaves seven injured in Rawalpindi, 13 March 2020, url
757 Express Tribune (The), One dead, 15 injured in Pindi blast, 12 June 2020, url
758 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 27; CRSS, CRSS Annual Security Report Special Edition 2013 –2018, March 2019, url, p. 12
759 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 27; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url,
p. 51; PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 49
760 CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, First Quarter, 2020, 7 April 2020, url; CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, Second
Quarter, 2020, 16 July 2020, url
761 IDMC, GRID 2020 Global Report on Internal Displacement, 28 April 2020, url, p. 50; Websites consulted:
http://www.unocha.org/pakistan;
https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/pakistan;
http://reliefweb.int/country/pak74

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

east.762 The provincial capital is Peshawar.763 The province has abundant resources. In 2017, theprovince contribution in the country’s natural resources was 55 percent.764 The population speaks
Pashtu, followed by the local languages Hindko and Urdu.765 The population of the province (including
former FATA) is around 35.5 million.766
The FATA was a semi-autonomous tribal region in north-western Pakistan, consisting of seven tribal
agencies (districts) and six frontier regions, until being merged with KP on 31 May 2018.767 The regionof former FATA is referred to as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tribal districts (KPTDs). The tribal agencies andfrontier regions in former FATA have been re-designated as districts and subdivisions of KP.768
The KP tribal districts are described separately and in detail below.
Background of the conflict and actors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (including former FATA)
In 2009, the Pakistani army engaged in a military operation against the TTP in KP. This offensive wasmarked by human rights violations and arbitrary arrests according to local residents.769 The army’s
counter-insurgency operations such as Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-Ul-Fasaad in KP (including former FATA)
contributed to a higher level of security in the province in the long-run.770 The Pakistani state is
exercising control over Mingora city and peace returned to the Swat valley in 2019.771 In Dera Ismael
Khan, multiple security operations were carried out in the past but the area still continues to serve as‘a fertile ground for extremists to breed and thrive’.772 In August 2019, Gandhara reported thatmembers of the TTP have returned to Buner district and established checkpoints according to Bakht
Afsar, a resident of Buner’s Sultan Wass village. Gandhara cited locals, who are unsure of the treat
that the TTP in Buner may pose. The military and the police were conducting search and strike
operations.773
At the end of May 2018, the FATA merged with KP. The newly merged tribal districts are governed
under provincial laws of KP. According to a report of International Crisis Group in August 2018, yearsof military operations in former FATA broke the TTP’s hold over most of the tribal belt but also
displaced millions of residents, destroyed homes and ruined livelihoods. Security in those areas has‘improved but remains fragile’ according to International Crisis Group.774 The networks of the TTP are
still active either in Afghanistan or in districts of KP such as Tank, Dera Ismael Khan, North and South
Waziristan.775 On 20 July 2019, provincial elections were held amid heightened security measures,
including the deployment of police officers and soldiers in the region.776 The election process waspeaceful with no major security incidents.777

762 Government of Pakistan, Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Monsoon

Contingency Plan 2019, 6 July 2019, url, pp. 4-7
763 Alhasan Systems, Pakistan Development Perspective - City district Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 31 December 2015,
url, p. 17
764 International News (The), KP has abundant natural resources, 25 June 2017, url
765 Daily Sabah, Pakistan: A land of many languages, 9 March 2018, url
766 Government of Pakistan, Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Monsoon
Contingency Plan 2019, 6 July 2019, url, p. 7
767 Asia Foundation (The), Dismantling Pakistan’s Tribal Areas, 24 October 2018, url
768 Express Tribune (The), Tribal areas re-designated as districts, sub-divisions, 12 June 2018, url; Express Tribune (The),
Notification issued for composition of new administrative divisions in Mohmand, Khyber, 20 July 2018, url
769 Dawn, Swat: an unquiet calm, 21 September 2014, url
770 Almeida, C., EASO, EASO COI Meeting Report: Pakistan, 16-17 October 2017; Rome, February 2018, url, p. 21, p. 46
771 Anadolu Agency, Swat city center: From bloody square to business hub, 23 May 2019, url
772 Mohanty Ranjan, T., Pakistan: Dera Ismail Khan: Tenuous Control, 29 July 2019, SAIR, Volume 18, No. 5, url
773 Gandhara, Taliban See Resurgence In Northwestern Pakistan, 23 August 2019, url
774 International Crisis Group, Shaping a New Peace in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas, 20 August 2018, url, p. 2
775 International Crisis Group, Shaping a New Peace in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas, 20 August 2018, url, p. 3; New York Times(The), Pakistan’s Tribal Areas Are Still Waiting for Justice as Army Tightens Grip, 11 June 2019, url
776 RFE/RL, Pakistan's Restive Tribal Region Holds First Local Elections, 20 July 2019, url
777 Dawn, Win for ex-Fata, 23 July 2019, url

75

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Description of recent security trends
ACLED collected data on 349 violent events in KP province778 from reports in open sources in the year
2019, 122 of which were coded as battles, 103 as explosions/remote violence and 124 as violenceagainst civilians. North Waziristan stood out as the district where most incidents were reported with
69 violent events, followed by Peshawar with 37 violent events.779
PIPS documented a total of 170 incidents of violence780 in the province in 2019. This is a slight decrease
compared to 2018 (183). This included ‘terrorist attacks’, anti-militant operational strikes by security
forces, armed clashes/ encounters between security/law enforcement personnel and militants, intermilitant clashes and cross-border attacks.781 PIPS counted 125 ‘terrorist attacks’782 in 2019.783 PICSS
observed 82 militant attacks784 in 2019.785
PIPS observed that militants in 2019 used tactics such as suicide bombings, firearms, IEDs, and hand
grenades and rockets.786 The trend of militants attacking civilians, government officials andinstitutions, tribal elders and security personnel continued during 2019.787 The KP districts where most‘terrorist attacks’ happened in 2019 includes North Waziristan (53 attacks), Dera Ismael Khan (14attacks) and Bajaur (11 attacks).788
From 1 January 2020 to 31 July 2020 ACLED coded 73 violent events in KP. 44 of which were coded asbattles, 18 as explosions/remote violence and 11 as violence against civilians.789 In this timeframe in
the most incidents were reported in North Waziristan (18 violent events), Peshawar (8 violent events)
and South Waziristan (6 violent events).790
In the first seven months of 2020, PIPS observed 100 overall incidents of which 49 were mentioned as‘terrorist attacks’ in the province.791 In the first seven months of 2020 the KP districts where most‘terrorist attacks’ took place are: North Waziristan, Bajaur and Peshawar.792 PICSS counted 103
incidents of violence. More than half of these incidents (60) were militant attacks.793
In January 2020, at least nine people got injured in a hand grenade attack near the Karkhano police
checkpoint in Peshawar.794 In February 2020, an IED explosion occurred near a police car in Kulachi
area of Dera Ismail Khan. At least one police officer got killed and two injured. The police car was
targeted while policemen were being deployed to provide security to polio workers.795 In May 2020,

778 This number includes former FATA agencies
779 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2019-31
December 2019), url
780 This number includes former FATA agencies; PIPS, PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 36; PIPS,
Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 36
781 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 36
782 This number includes former FATA agencies; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 35
783 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 2020, url, p. 35
784 This number includes former FATA agencies; PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 20
785 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 20
786 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 35
787 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 36
788 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 35
789 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2020-31 July2020), url
790 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2020-31 July 2020), url
791 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 -data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
792 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
793 Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PICSS
794 Dawn, 9 injured in hand grenade explosion near Karkhano police checkpost in Peshawar, 14 January 2020, url
795 Dawn, 1 policeman martyred, 2 injured in IED blast near police van in DI Khan,18 February 2020, url

76

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

an IED explosion in Peshawar injured seven people.796 On 10 June 2020, the police killed an important
TTP militant identified as Ameen Shah in Bannu.797
Impact of the violence on the civilian population
According to PIPS in 170 incidents of violence of various types 216 people were killed and 301 people
wounded in the province in 2019. The majority of the casualties were security force personnel.798 CRSS
documented 531 casualties in the province of KP799 (262 fatalities and 269 injuries) in 2019.800
According to data provided by CRSS in their first and second quarter analysis report of 2020, 203
casualties (157 fatalities, 46 injured) were counted for the province.801 The total number of casualties
in the province increased slightly in the second quarter of 2020 (108 casualties) compared to the firstquarter (95 casualties).802
Displacement
According to UNOCHA, 16 780 families remain displaced as of November 2019 in the province.803
According to IDMC ‘more than 101,000 people were still living in displacement in the northern
province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the end of 2019 as a result of law enforcement operations.’804
Among the consulted sources there was no information found about any conflict-induced
displacement from areas in KP in 2019 and the first seven months of 2020.805
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tribal districts (KPTDs)
For a better understanding of the security situation in this region, the KP tribal districts are firstdescribed in general terms and further in more detail.
GeneralMansur Khan Mahsud described the security situation for the KPTDs on 30 June 2020:‘There is no big change in the tribal districts of former FATA since 2019. Except in South andNorth Waziristan tribal districts where militants have sneaked in from Afghanistan since 2018.
Also, in 2020 militant attacks have increased in Bajaur tribal district. Bajaur tribal district wassecond after North Waziristan tribal district in regard to militants’ attacks and casualties. It
seems that the situation would remain the same in the district in the next six months of2020.’806
In an August 2020 article, Ihsanullah Tipu Meshud, an Islamabad-based journalist who covers security
issues, also noticed that in ‘recent months’ militants of the Taliban established themselves in Northand South Waziristan. They relocated from across the Afghan border.807

796 Dawn, Two traffic policemen among five injured in Peshawar blast, 12 May 2020, url
797 Pakistan Today, Suspected murderer of Canadian reporter killed in encounter, 10 June 2020, url
798 These numbers includes former FATA agencies; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 2020, url, p. 36
799 These numbers include Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and former FATA, numbers used from table 1 CRSS: CRSS, Annual Security

Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 5
800 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 27
801 These numbers include Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and former FATA; CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, First Quarter, 2020,
7 April 2020, url; CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, Second Quarter, 2020, 16 July 2020, url
802 CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, First Quarter, 2020, 7 April 2020, url; CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, Second
Quarter, 2020, 16 July 2020, url
803 UNOCHA, Pakistan: Humanitarian Dashboard - Transition 2019 1 January - 30 November 2019, 2 January 2020, url
804 IDMC, GRID 2020 Global Report on Internal Displacement, 28 April 2020, url, p. 50
805 IDMC, GRID 2020 Global Report on Internal Displacement, 28 April 2020, url, p. 50; Websites consulted:
http://www.unocha.org/pakistan;
https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/pakistan;
http://reliefweb.int/country/pak
806 Khan Mahsud, M., email, 30 June 2020
807 Arab News Pakistan, Double-edged sword of 'surrendered' Taliban in Waziristan, 3 August 2020, url

77Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

FRC states in its annual report of 2019 that compared to 2018 there was a decrease of 16 % in ‘terrorist
incidents’ and a decrease of 82 % in counterterrorism incidents in 2019. In total FRC counted 160
violent incidents (106 terrorism and 54 counterterrorism incidents) in 2019.808 According to data
provided by FRC, in the time period 1 January 2020 - 31 July 2020 68 violent incidents (57 terrorism
and 11 counterterrorism incidents) occurred.809
Figure 13. Overview of the violent incidents in the KPTDS in 2019 and the first seven months of 2020, based on FRC
dataFigure 13 shows an overview of the violent incidents in the KPTDS in 2019 and the first sevenmonths of 2020.
2019

01/01/2020-31/07/2020

Violent incidents in the
KPTDs

No.
Incidents

No.
KilledNo. Injured

No.
Incidents

No.
KilledNo.
InjuredBajaur

15

8

13

17

26

12

Mohmand

6

6

15

1

3

-

Kurram

1

0

2

3

1

18

Khyber

12

9

7

7

7

-

Orakzai

1

5

3

3

4

2

North Waziristan

45

55

105

25

66

23

South Waziristan

27

17

29

12

7

18

Total

106

100

174

68

114

73

Figure 13. Overview of the violent incidents in the KPTDS in 2019 and the first seven months of 2020, based on FRC data 810
Figure 14 (see below) gives an overview of the nature of violence in the tribal districts in 2018, 2019 andthe first seven months of 2020 showing that the nature of the incidents is diverse: from search
operations by the military to attacks on civilians and security force personnel by militants. In 2019, thenumber of attacks on civilians and security forces decreased compared to 2018.811
Nature of violent incidents in the No. of incidents No. of incidents No.
ofincidents
KPTDs
2018
2019
01/01/01- 31/07/2020
Attacks on civilians

58

48

31

Attacks on security forces

63

54

22

Attacks on peace forces

5

4

4

808 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 1
809 Khan Mahsud, M., email, 8 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of FRC
810 KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, pp. 4-11; Khan Mahsud, M., email, 8 August 2020 - data

01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of FRC
811 FRC, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tribal Districts annual security situation 2018, 15 January 2019, url, p. 1; FRC, KPTD Annual
Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 1

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Clashes between militant groups 1

0

0

Search operations

136

54

11

Aerial strikes

0

0

0

Drone attacks

1

0

0

Total

264

160

68

Figure 14. Nature of violent incidents in the FATA in 2018 and 2019, based on FRC data812
Figure 15 (see below) gives an overview of the nature of the casualties in the tribal districts in 2018,2019 and the first seven months of 2020. In 2019, FRC counted a total of 281 casualties (110 killed and
171 injured) in all the KPTDs, marking a significant decrease of 24 % in overall casualties compared to
2018. According to Figure 15 security forces were the most affected target during the year 2019. In thefirst seven months of 2020, most casualties were civilians followed by security forces (see Figure 15). 813
Natureof No. of casualties 2018
casualties in the
KPTDs
KilledinjuredNo. of casualties 2019

KilledInjuredMilitants

28

2

16

Civilians

75

117

Security forces

44

Peace
forces/Aman
Lashkar
Total

No.
of
casualties
01/01/2020-31/01/2020
KilledInjured

10

43

3

34

52

38

37

92

54

107

26

30

5

3

6

2

7

3

152

214

110

171

114

73

Figure 15. Nature of casualties in the tribal districts in 2018 and 2019, based on FRC data 814

On 30 June 2020, Mansur Khan Mahsud stated the following on the main targets of militant groups in
the KPTDs:‘In 2019 and 2020 security forces, pro-government tribal elders, government officials and local
peace committees’ members are on the hit list of the militant groups active in the former
tribal districts of FATA. Those militants who have renounced militancy and has surrendered to
the government are also on the hit list of the militants. Dozens of militants affiliated with the

812 FRC, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tribal Districts annual security situation 2018, 15 January 2019, urll, p. 1; FRC, KPTD Annual

Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 1; Khan Mahsud, M., email, 8 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020
courtesy of FRC
813 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 2
814 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tribal Districts annual security situation 2018, 15 January 2019, url, p. 2; FRC, KPTD Annual Security
Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 1; Khan Mahsud, M., email, 8 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of
FRC

79

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

TTP and Gull Bahadur group who have surrendered to the government have been killed intarget killing incidents in South and North Waziristan in 2019 and 2020.’815
Methods used by militants included IEDs, suicide attacks, cross-border attacks, clashes between
militant groups and militant ambushes on security personnel (see Figure 16). Just as in 2018, the use of
IEDs remained the most used tactic by militants in 2019 and the first seven months of 2020. These areobserved in all tribal districts.816

Militant tactics in KPTDS

No. of incidents No. of incidents No.
ofincidents
20182019
01/01/202031/07/2020

IEDs

70

53

27

Targeted killings

20

25

16

Suicide attacks

1

0

0

Cross-border attacks

24

6

5

Ambush1015

4Kidnapping

-

4

4

Figure 16. Militant tactics in the tribal districts in 2018 and 2019, based on FRC data817

Below a description is given of the recent security trends in each tribal district in 2019 and the firstseven months of 2020.
Bajaur tribal district
Bajaur is located in the north of the province of KP and shares a border with Afghanistan’s eastern
Kunar Province to the north-west, and Mohmand tribal district in the west.818 The population of Bajaur
tribal district is 1 093 684.819 In Bajaur, the first district courts were set up in the merged tribal districts
at the end of June 2019.820
FRC documented 15 violent incidents in 2019 in Bajaur. This is a decrease of 29 % in terms of incidents
compared to 2018 (21 violent incidents). According to FRC, 21 casualties were counted in 2019 (8killed and 13 injured).821 Of the 21 casualties, 11 were civilians.822 PIPS counted 11 ‘terrorist attacks’in Bajaur killing 8 and injuring 14 in 2019.823 FRC stated that in 2019 counter terrorism operations

815 Khan Mahsud, M., email, 30 June 2020
816 FRC, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tribal Districts annual security situation 2018, 15 January 2019, url, p. 15; FRC, KPTD Annual

Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 13
817 FRC, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tribal Districts annual security situation 2018, 15 January 2019, url, p. 15; FRC, KPTD Annual
Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 13; Khan Mahsud, M., email, 8 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020
courtesy of FRC
818 CRSS, FATA Tribes: Finally Out of Colonial Clutches? Past, Present and Future, 12 July 2018, url, p. 22
819 CRSS, FATA Tribes: Finally Out of Colonial Clutches? Past, Present and Future, 12 July 2018, url, p. 22
820 TNN, District court starts functioning in Bajaur, 29 June 2019, url
821 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 4
822 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, pp. 14-15
823 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 2020, url, p. 35

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

occurred in Bajaur.824 IEDs were used in 8 violent incidents in 2019.825 In September 2019, local
residents of Bajaur feared a return of the TTP because of multiple incidents with IEDs.826
From 1 January 2020 to 31 July 2020, FRC documented 17 violent incidents in Bajaur which caused 38
casualties (26 killed and 12 injured).827 From 1 January 2020 to 31 July 2020, PIPS counted 7 ‘terrorist
attacks’ in Bajaur tribal district. 4 people were killed and 3 injured. PIPS mentioned that JuA, HuA andlocal Taliban were responsible for these attacks.828
According to reporting by TNN, more violent incidents occurred in Bajaur since May 2020.829 On
22 May 2020, one person was killed and another injured in a bomb blast in Nawagai tehsil.830 On
2 July 2020, a person was killed in a bomb blast in Mamond tehsil of Bajaur tribal district.831 Shellingfrom Afghanistan into Bajaur district was also reported. One person was killed and another injured
when a mortar shell fired from Afghan side landed in Salarzai tehsil.832 A cross-border attack occurred
on 28 June 2020, in which three persons were injured in Charmang tehsil.833
Khyber tribal district
Khyber tribal district borders Afghanistan to the west, Orakzai tribal district to the south, Kurram tribal
district to the south-west and Peshawar in the east. This district is divided into three subadministrative units: Bara, Jamrud and Landi Kotal.834 Khyber tribal district has a population of986 973.835
The Pakistani army carried out four military operations in Khyber.836 The Pakistani army announced inJuly 2017 that it had launched a new military operation in Khyber Agency’s Rajgal Valley, the operation
Khyber-IV. Hideouts and training camps of militants were destroyed in this offensive.837 No
information on further military operations after July 2017 could be found.
In 2019, FRC stated that 12 violent incidents occurred in Khyber tribal district. This is a decline of 33 %compared to 2018 when 18 violent incidents were reported by FRC.838 According to FRC 16 casualties
were counted in 2019 (9 killed and 7 injured).839 Of the 16 casualties, 6 were civilians.840 PIPS counted
4 ‘terrorist attacks’ in Khyber killing 3 and injuring 4 in 2019.841
From 1 January 2020 to 31 July 2020, FRC documented seven violent incidents in Khyber which caused
seven casualties (seven killed).842 In the first seven months of 2020, PIPS counted not a single ‘terrorist
attack’ in Khyber tribal district.843 According to TNN, two tribesmen, including a tribal elder, were killed
after they were kidnapped in Jamrud tehsil in January 2020.844

824 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 2
825 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 16
826 Gandhara, Pakistan: New Attacks Raise Fears Of A Taliban Return, 5 September 2019, url
827 Khan Mahsud, M., email, 8 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of FRC
828 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
829 TNN, Market watchman killed in Bajaur blast, 2 July 2020, url
830 TNN, One killed, another injured in Bajaur blast, 22 May 2020, url
831 TNN, Market watchman killed in Bajaur blast, 2 July 2020, url
832 TNN, One killed as mortar fired from Afghanistan lands in Bajaur, 28 May 2020, url
833 TNN, 3 labourers injured in Bajaur in firing from Afghan side, 28 June 2020, url
834 CRSS, FATA Tribes: Finally Out of Colonial Clutches? Past, Present and Future, 12 July 2018, url, pp. 14-15
835 CRSS, FATA Tribes: Finally Out of Colonial Clutches? Past, Present and Future, 12 July 2018, url, p. 14
836 PIPS, Security Report 2017, 7 January 2018, url, p. 122
837 Dawn, Operation Khyber-IV: army clears terrorist strongholds in Rajgal valley, 23 July 2017, url
838 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 7
839 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 7
840 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, pp. 14-15
841 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 July 2020, url, p. 35
842 Khan Mahsud, M., email, 8 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of FRC
843 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
844 TNN, ‘Damaged schools in Khyber to be rebuilt on priority basis’, 26 January 2020, url

81Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Kurram tribal district
Kurram shares its border largely with Afghanistan (Nangarhar and Paktia province). In the east thisagency borders Orakzai, Khyber and North Waziristan in the south. It is divided into threeadministrative units: Lower Kurram, Upper Kurram and Central Kurram. Parachinar is the main capitalof Kurram Agency. Kurram has a significant Shia population. Kurram Agency has a history of sectarian
violence between the Sunni and the Shia population.845 Kurram tribal district has a population of
619 553.846
In 2019, a decrease in violent incidents was observed by FRC in this tribal district compared to 2018.
In total, FRC counted one violent incident in 2019 compared to three in 2018.847 The same downwards
trend was noted in the number of casualties in 2019. FRC counted two casualties (two injured) in 2019
compared to 21 casualties (8 killed, 13 injured) in 2018.848 PIPS did not mention any ‘terrorist attack’
in 2019 in Kurram.849
From 1 January 2020 to 31 July 2020, FRC documented 3 violent incidents in Kurram which caused 19
casualties (1 killed and 18 injured).850 From 1 January until 31 July 2020, PIPS counted three ‘terrorist
attacks’ in Kurram tribal district in which one person got killed and eighteen were injured. The attacks
were attributed to rival sectarian groups and unknown militants.851
In May 2020, a bomb blast occurred in an imambargah in Kurram tribal district. At least one person
got injured.852 At the end of June 2020, a tribal clash between two tribes erupted and evolved into a
sectarian clash according to the Nation. At least five people were killed and over 20 injured.853
According to reporting of TNN on 2 July 2020, 14 were killed and 40 injured in this tribal clash.854 On
23 July 2020, a bomb explosion occurred at a local market in Parachinar, wounding 18 people. After
this incident, people protested and blamed the security forces for the violence in the region.855
Mohmand tribal district
Mohmand borders Bajaur in the north and Khyber in the south. In the east, it borders Malakand andCharsadda districts and Peshawar district in the south-east.856 Mohmand tribal district has apopulation of 466 984.857
FRC counted 6 violent incidents during 2019, killing 6 people and injuring 15. Compared to 2018, thesituation in this agency slightly improved in 2019 in terms of violent incidents but the number ofcasualties has risen in 2019.858 Of the 21 casualties, 10 were civilians.859 According to PIPS, five‘terrorist attacks’ have taken place in Mohmand tribal district in 2019 killing four and injuring four
people.860

845 CRSS, FATA Tribes: Finally Out of Colonial Clutches? Past, Present and Future, 12 July 2018, url, pp. 16-17
846 CRSS, FATA Tribes: Finally Out of Colonial Clutches? Past, Present and Future, 12 July 2018, url, p. 16
847 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 8
848 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 8
849 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 35
850 Khan Mahsud, M., email, 8 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of FRC
851 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
852 Dawn, At least 1 injured in explosion at imambargah in Lower Kurram, 5 May 2020, url
853 Nation (The), Tribes land disputes claim 5 lives in Kurram, 1 July 2020, url
854 TNN, Death toll in rival tribes’ clashes in Kurram reaches 14, 2 July 2020, url
855 DW, Pakistan: Protests erupt over Parachinar bomb attack, 24 July 2020, url
856 CRSS, FATA Tribes: Finally, Out of Colonial Clutches? Past, Present and Future, 12 July 2018, url, p. 22
857 CRSS, FATA Tribes: Finally Out of Colonial Clutches? Past, Present and Future, 12 July 2018, url, p. 22
858 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, pp. 5-6
859 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, pp. 14-15
860 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 35

82

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

From 1 January 2020 to 31 July 2020 FRC documented one violent incident in Mohmand which caused
3 casualties (3 killed).861 From 1 January 2020 to 31 July 2020, PIPS counted one ‘terrorist attack’ inMohmand tribal district perpetrated by the local Taliban.862
The Rehmat Kor area in Mohmand tribal district was declared safe in February 2020 and 76 displaced
families returned to this area.863 In April 2020, Dawn stated that during a security operation, thesecurity forces killed three suspected militants during a raid in Mohmand tribal district.864
Orakzai tribal district
Orakzai shares its borders with Khyber tribal district in the north, Kohat in the east, the districts ofKohat and Hangu in the south, and Kurram tribal district in the west. Administratively, it is divided into
Upper and Lower Orakzai.865 The population is 245 356.866
One incident of violence was counted by FRC during 2019 compared to three in 2018. FRC reported
eight casualties (five killed, three injured) in 2019.867 According to PIPS, no ‘terrorist attacks’ havetaken place in Orakzai tribal district in 2019.868
From 1 January 2020 to 31 July 2020, FRC documented 3 violent incidents in Orakzai which caused six
casualties (four killed and two injured).869 From 1 January until 31 July 2020, PIPS counted two‘terrorist attacks’ in Orakzai tribal district in which two people were killed and two injured. The attacks
were attributed to JuA and local Taliban. 870
In March 2020, armed men attacked a police station in the Arghunja area of Orakzai tribal districtkilling two police officers.871
North Waziristan tribal district
North Waziristan borders Kurram tribal district and Hangu in the north and Karak and Bannu districtsin the east, South Waziristan tribal district in the south and Afghanistan in the west.872 North
Waziristan has a population of 543 254.873
Before 2014, North Waziristan was considered as a home base of al-Qaeda, Pakistani Taliban and the
Haqqani-network.874 In June 2014, Operation Zarb-e-Azb was initiated in North Waziristan.875 The area
was cleared of militants according to the Pakistani military.876 In the wake of multiple incidents against
the security forces and to prevent any ‘untoward situation’, Section 144 was imposed for thirty daysin June 2019.877 Ahead of the provincial elections, Section 144 was lifted on 8 July 2019.878 Section 144

861 Khan Mahsud, M., email, 8 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of FRC
862 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
863 TNN, 76 families return as Rehmat Kor in Mohmand district declared ‘clear’, 27 February 2020, url
864 Dawn, Seven terror suspects killed in two operations in KP, 8 April 2020, url
865 CRSS, FATA Tribes: Finally Out of Colonial Clutches? Past, Present and Future, 12 July 2018, url, pp. 22-23
866 CRSS, FATA Tribes: Finally Out of Colonial Clutches? Past, Present and Future, 12 July 2018, url, p. 23
867 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 9868 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 35
869 Khan Mahsud, M., email, 8 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of FRC
870 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
871 Dawn, Two constables martyred in attack on police station, 20 March 2020, url
872 CRSS, FATA Tribes: Finally Out of Colonial Clutches? Past, Present and Future, 12 July 2018, url, p. 20
873 CRSS, FATA Tribes: Finally Out of Colonial Clutches? Past, Present and Future, 12 July 2018, url, p. 20
874 BBC News, North Waziristan: What happened after militants lost the battle?, 8 March 2017, url
875 Jamestown Foundation, The Successes and Failures of Pakistan's Operation Zarb-e-Azb, 10 July 2015, url; BBC News, North

Waziristan: What happened after militants lost the battle?, 8 March 2017, url
876 Nation (The), Operation Zarb-e-Azb: Two years of success, 6 September 2016, url; Dawn, After Army's clean-up of North
Waziristan, locals want civilian govt to get in action, 18 May 2017, url
877 Dawn, Section 144 imposed in North Waziristan due to 'current law and order situation', 10 June 2019, url
878 TNN, Section 144 lifted in North Waziristan ahead of elections, 8 July 2019, url

83

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situationof the Code of Criminal Procedure empowers district administrations to issue orders in public interest
that may place a ban on an activity for a specific period of time.879
PIPS stated the following about the TTP in 2019:‘The TTP is apparently also struggling to come back to its traditional hub in South and North
Waziristan. Apart from perpetrating terrorist attacks against the security forces and tribal
elders, it was also trying to re-cultivate its support base in these areas of KP. It has started
issuing warnings to local tribesmen and instructions to impose its social-ideological order.’880
In Miranshah, a pamphlet issued by the TTP in July 2019 warns citizens not to play music in public,
allow women freedom of movement or vaccinate their children against polio, or ‘face theconsequences’.881
FRC describes the security situation in North Waziristan as ‘turbulent’ in 2019. FRC noted a decreasein violent incidents and a slight increase in casualties in 2019 compared to 2018.882 In 2019, FRC
counted 45 violent incidents compared to 57 violent incidents in 2018. FRC counted 160 casualties (55killed, 105 injured) in 2019 compared to 152 casualties (55 killed, 97 injured) in 2018.883 In 2019, mostcivilian casualties (41) were counted by FRC in North Waziristan. According to FRC, the high numberof civilian casualties was due to targeted killings and IED attacks.884 According to PIPS, 53 ‘terrorist
attacks’ have taken place in North Waziristan tribal district in 2019 killing 57 and injuring 93 people.885
According to PIPS, 38 of the 53 ‘terrorist attacks’ targeted security and law enforcement agencies.886
From 1 January 2020 to 31 July 2020, FRC documented 25 violent incidents in North Waziristan whichcaused 89 casualties (66 killed and 23 injured).887 In the first seven months of 2020, PIPS counted 18‘terrorist attacks’ in North Waziristan tribal district. In total PIPS counted 47casualties (24 killed and
23 injured). The attacks were carried out by local Taliban, the TTP and unknown militants. 888
In March and April 2020, clashes were noted between security forces personnel and militants. On
18 March 2020, a clash took place in the area of Datta Khel in which four security force personnel andseven militants were killed.889 On 7 April 2020, Pakistani security forces killed four militants in a raid.890
In May 2020, Dawn stated that a rise in targeted killings on civilians and attacks on security forces inNorth Waziristan and South Waziristan districts have caused fear among the local population.891 On
24 May 2020, at least three people, including two government officials, were killed in an attack by
unknown gunmen near Hassu Khel village of Mir Ali town.892 After this incident, political elders of thearea gathered and expressed their concern about the security situation in North Waziristan. They
asked the government to take action to reduce the increase in violence.893 Attacks on the security
forces continued. On 12 June 2020, one soldier was killed in Mir Ali.894 On 27 June 2020, two soldiers

879 Government of Pakistan, Code of Criminal Procedure [Pakistan], Act No. V, 1 July 1898, url
880 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 69
881 Dawn, TTP warns against playing music, women going out alone in Miramshah, 1 August 2019, url
882 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 10
883 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 10
884 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 15
885 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 35
886 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 37
887 Khan Mahsud, M., email, 8 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of FRC
888 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
889 RFE/RL, Four Pakistani Troops, Seven Militants Killed In North Waziristan Clash, 18 March 2020, url
890 RFE/RL, Pakistani Security Forces Say Seven Militants Killed Near Afghanistan, 7 April 2020, url
891 Dawn, Five die in North Waziristan targeted attacks, 7 May 2020, url
892 Gandhara, Gunmen Kill Two Officials At Eid Celebration In Northwest Pakistan, 25 May 2020, url
893 Dawn, CSP officer among three shot dead in North Waziristan, 25 May 2020, url
894 TNN, Soldier martyred in North Waziristan firing, 12 June 2020, url

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

got injured due to a bomb blast in Khadi area of Mir Ali.895 On 24 July 2020, one soldier was killed andthree others were injured in a remote control blast on a vehicle of the security forces in Mir Ali.896
South Waziristan tribal district
South Waziristan shares its border in the north with North Waziristan, and borders Bannu and Lakki
Marwat districts in the north-east, the tribal area adjoining Tank district and Dera Ismail Khan districtin the east, Zhob district of Balochistan Province and Dera Ismail Khan district in the south, andAfghanistan in the west. 897 South Waziristan Agency has a population of 543 356.898
RFE/RL reported in July 2018 that there is a ‘renewed Taliban influence in Waziristan’ noticeable.
Locals call this armed group ‘the Aman (Peace) Committee, which mostly operates as a governmentbacked militia’.899 Mona Kanwal Sheikh, expert on militant movements in Pakistan stated about thepresence of the Taliban in South Waziristan:‘One “lump” of the Pakistani Taliban is, however, still active in South Waziristan. They areorganized in one of the peace committees in the district and are also called the “good Taliban”,
the ones who the military is not targeting. They are no longer part of the larger umbrella of
TTP, and they have been granted the right to control an area in South Waziristan.’900
According to Kanwal Sheikh, the Taliban in Wana, in South Waziristan, is organised under four
different commanders and with ‘their own police and public morality “corps” and their own justicesystem’. They also collect taxes from local businesses.901 In April 2019, the Taliban in Wana warned
the police through pamphlets to leave South Waziristan.902 At the end of May 2019, Section 144 was
imposed for a month in South Waziristan due to the clash between PTM and the army on 26 May 2019
in North Waziristan.903
FRC stated that the situation in South Waziristan remained ‘disturbed’ because the frequency of theviolent incidents increased in 2019.904 FRC recorded 27 violent incidents in 2019, compared to 2018(16 violent incidents), which is an increase of almost 50 %.905 FRC counted 46 casualties (17 killed, 29
injured) in 2019. This is a slight decrease compared to 2018 when FRC counted 45 casualties in 2018
(32 killed, 13 injured).906 According to FRC, IEDs and targeted killings remained the main cause ofcivilian casualties, although there was a reduction noted compared to 2018 in these attacks.907
According to PIPS, 5 ‘terrorist attacks’ have taken place in North Waziristan tribal district in 2019,
killing 7 and injuring 10 people.908
From 1 January 2020 to 31 July 2020 FRC documented 12 violent incidents in South Waziristan whichcaused 25 casualties (7 killed and 18 injured).909 From 1 January until 31 July 2020, PIPS counted 2‘terrorist attacks’ in South Waziristan tribal district in which 4 people were injured. The attacks werecarried out by the TTP and unknown militants.910

895 TNN, Two soldiers injured in North Waziristan blast, 27 June 2020, url
896 TNN, One soldier martyred, three injured in North Waziristan blast, 24 July 2020, url
897 CRSS, FATA Tribes: Finally Out of Colonial Clutches? Past, Present and Future, 12 July 2018, url, p. 17
898 CRSS, FATA Tribes: Finally Out of Colonial Clutches? Past, Present and Future, 12 July 2018, url, p. 17
899 RFE/RL, Locals Blame ‘Surrendered Taliban’ For Waziristan Murder, 24 July 2018, url
900 Kanwal Sheikh, M., New conflict lines in Pakistan’s tribal areas, 6 July 2018, url
901 Kanwal Sheikh, M., New conflict lines in Pakistan’s tribal areas, 6 July 2018, url
902 Dawn, Pamphlet warns police to leave S. Waziristan in three days, 23 April 2019, url
903 Dawn, Section 144 imposed in South Waziristan for 'public safety', 28 May 2019, url
904 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 10
905 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 10
906 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 10
907 FRC, KPTD Annual Security Report 2019, 13 January 2020, url, p. 17
908 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 35
909 Khan Mahsud, M., email, 8 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of FRC
910 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

On 1 May 2020, Sardar Arif Wazir, an activist of the PTM was attacked in Wanna by unidentified
persons. A day later, Wazir died because of injuries sustained during the attack.911 In July 2020, four
people including a tribal elder, were killed when armed men opened fire at their vehicle in Merna
area.912 On 11 August 2020, four soldiers were injured due to a suicide attack. The TTP claimed
responsibility.913

2.2.3 Balochistan
General description of the province
Balochistan (see Map 1) is located in the west of Pakistan. It borders Iran in the west, Afghanistan in
the north-west, KP province in the north-east, Punjab province in the east, Sindh province in the southeast, and the Arabian Sea in the south.914 The province is rich in natural resources such as gas, coaland other minerals.915 The province of Balochistan is prone to environmental hazards including
earthquakes, floods, and drought.916 The province is of strategic importance to the government ofPakistan because of the CPEC project.917 The CPEC project includes a 3 000 km network of roads,
railway and pipelines running from Balochistan’s Gwadar Port to the Xinjiang region in China.918
The majority of the people are Baloch, but the second largest group are Pashtun who dominate thenorthern areas.919 The provincial capital Quetta is also the home of a large part of the Hazara
community in Pakistan.920 An October 2019 report of HRCP stated that Balochistan is the largest
province of Pakistan but the least populated.921 According to the latest population census figures
published by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the population of the province is around 12.3 million.922
Background of the conflict and actors in Balochistan
The province of Balochistan experiences multiple problems such as sectarian violence, Islamist
militant attacks and a separatist insurgency.923 These conflicts are further complicated by the
involvement of several foreign states, such as China, India and Iran, with an economic or political stakein the province.924
The separatist insurgency has been going on in Balochistan for decades. Different nationalist groups
complained about the unfair distribution of royalties from the exploitation of natural minerals in theprovince.925 The conflict intensified in 2005 and escalated further in August 2006 with the death of
Nationalist Leader and Tribal Head Nawab Akbar Bugti. The government of Pakistan reacted with amilitary operation. The building of military cantonments in Balochistan and the development of

911 RFE/RL, Pashtun Rights Activist Dies After Shooting Attack In Pakistan's Tribal Areas, 2 May 2020, url
912 Dawn, South Waziristan attack leaves four dead, 4 July 2020, url
913 Dawn, Brigadier, three soldiers injured in suicide attack, 12 August 2020, url
914 Diplomat (The), A Brief History of Balochistan, 12 February 2016, url
915 UNDP Pakistan, Balochistan: Challenges & Opportunities, 17 April 2019, url, p. 2, p. 14
916 Government of Pakistan, Provincial Disaster Management Authority Balochistan, Balochistan Drought Needs Assessment(BDNA) Report February 2019, 28 February 2019, url, p. 5
917 UNDP Pakistan, Balochistan: Challenges & Opportunities, 17 April 2019, url, p. 2
918 Nation (The), Gwadar: Economic prosperity of Pakistan, 6 July 2019, url
919 Diplomat (The), Fear and Loathing in Balochistan, 25 April 2019, url; Diplomat (The), Pakistan’s Balochs Fear Minority
Status in Their Own Province, 11 February 2016, url
920 Reuters, 'Under siege': Fear and defiance mark life for Pakistan's minority Hazaras, 5 July 2019, url
921 HRCP, Balochistan: Neglected Still. An HRCP Fact-Finding Report, 28 October 2019, url, p. 2
922 Pakistan, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Provisional Summary Results of 6th Population & Housing Census-2017, 25 August
2017, url
923 Amir Rana, M., Militant Landscape of Balochistan, 19 June 2020, url, p. 1
924 Reuters, Pakistan asks Iran to act on militants behind Baluchistan killings, 20 April 2019, url; Diplomat (The), Trouble atthe Pakistan-Iran Border, 30 October 2018, url
925 DW, China consulate attack: Why Pakistan's Baloch separatists are against Beijing, 23 November 2018, url

86Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Gwadar port by China also became reasons for conflict.926 A series of attacks on government targets
and on Punjabi settlers spiked during the insurgency after 2006.927
In April 2019, Gandhara noticed: ‘Independent observers and Baluch nationalists say an extensive
crackdown by Pakistani security forces relying on anti-nationalist militias, enforced disappearances,and other harsh tactics has weakened the insurgency’, especially in the Makran area.928 According toKiyya Baloch, a journalist from Balochistan’s Makran region most of the attacks occur in the remoteregions of the province.929 Still, the Baloch armed groups were able to carry out a series of violent
attacks on Chinese interests in the region in the last two years. This is largely due to a transformationof the Baloch armed groups caused by a change in traditional leadership and urbanisation of theiroperations from small towns to cities outside the province.930 According to Muhammad Amir Rana, asecurity analyst, due to the growth of the middle class and higher literacy rate in central and southern
Balochistan ‘a new cadre of young nationalists also emerged.’ Rana stated that they gradually took
over control of the insurgency in their region.931 The insurgency has largely shifted to the south-westof Balochistan.932 In June 2020, clashes between the Pakistani military and Baloch insurgents
aggravated due to an increase of attacks perpetrated by Baloch groups.933 The Pakistan military carriedout a military operation - Ground Zero Clearance Operation - aimed at destroying the bases of Baloch
militant groups in the border regions with Iran.934
An issue that has continuously fuelled the insurgency in Balochistan is the enforced disappearancesand extrajudicial killings.935 A May 2020 article of Gandhara stated that ‘Baloch activists say they haveseen a renewed crackdown on educated youth…’936 According to Voice for Baloch Missing Persons(VBMP), cited in the Diplomat, at least 47 000 Balochs have gone missing since 2000.937
Another factor contributing to the conflict in Balochistan in recent years is the international
involvement in Pakistan’s efforts to build the Gwadar Port in collaboration with China.938 The Baloch
insurgent groups have condemned the CPEC project. They interpret the project as an attempt by thestate to exploit Balochistan’s resources while receiving little in return.939 To protect the CPEC project,
Pakistan increased its security personnel in the region.940
Different Islamist militant groups are also active in the province. According to PIPS annual security
situation report of 2019 the TPP, HuA, affiliates of IS and some other similar unknown militants wereable to carry out attacks in the province.941 In April 2019, TRT World mentioned ‘although the TTP has
been pushed to the peripheries after the military operations, they still carry out attacks intermittently.
The current state of the organisation is scattered, but in recent times most of their attacks seem to be
centred in and around Balochistan.’942 Security sources believe that Zhob district is emerging as the
926 Aamir, A., The Balochistan Insurgency and the Threat to Chinese Interests in Pakistan, 15 February 2019,China Brief,volume: 19, issue: 4, url
927 Gandhara, Balochistan’s Separatist Insurgency On The Wane Despite Recent Attack, 18 April 2019, url
928 Gandhara, Balochistan’s Separatist Insurgency On The Wane Despite Recent Attack, 18 April 2019, url
929 Gandhara, Balochistan’s Separatist Insurgency On The Wane Despite Recent Attack, 18 April 2019, url
930 Prism, Eight months in, how is Balochistan faring?, 5 April 2019, url
931 Amir Rana, M., Militant Landscape of Balochistan, 19 June 2020, url, p. 1
932 Amir Rana, M., Militant Landscape of Balochistan, 19 June 2020, url, p. 2
933 Diplomat (The), Amid a Pandemic, Pakistan Focuses on a Baloch Insurgency, 26 June 2020, url
934 Arab News Pakistan, 'Ground zero' operation underway against militant hideouts near Pakistan’s border with Iran, 6 June
2020, url
935 AI, Pakistan: Enduring Enforced Disappearances, 27 March 2019, url; Gandhara, Educated Youth Still Turn To Separatist
Violence In Restive Pakistani Province, 14 May 2020, url
936 Gandhara, Educated Youth Still Turn To Separatist Violence In Restive Pakistani Province, 14 May 2020, url
937 Diplomat (The), Pakistan’s ‘Occupied Balochistan’, 22 June 2020, url
938 Dawn, The geoeconomics of CPEC, 7 April 2019, url
939 International Crisis Group, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: Opportunities and Risks, 29 June 2018, url;
940 Dawn, How Gwadar’s CPEC development might leave its people behind, 28 June 2018, url
941 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, pp. 40-41
942 Ur Rehman, Z., Pakistani Taliban: Between infighting, government crackdowns and Daesh, 18 April 2019, TRT World, url

87Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

new hub of TTP activity where the group is establishing hideouts and safe havens.943 Sectarian
violence is still present in Balochistan but is relatively less frequent and less intense in recent years.944
Members of the local Shia community, mostly members of the Hazara community in Quetta havefallen victim of violent attacks, targeted killings and suicide attacks.945 In addition, members of theSunni and Bohra community members were targeted in 2019.946
Description of recent security trends
ACLED collected data on 121 violent events in Balochistan from reports in open sources in the year
2019, of which 45 were coded as battles, 51 as explosions/remote violence and 25 as violence against
civilians. Quetta stood out as the district where most incidents were reported with 36 violent events,
followed by Nasirabad with 9 violent events and Killah Abdullah with also 9 violent events.947
PIPS documented 106 incidents of various types of violence in the province in 2019: 84 ‘terrorist
attacks’, 11 anti-militant operational attacks by security forces, 6 armed clashes and encounters
between security forces and militants, and 4 major terror bids, among others.948 Compared to 2018,
the number of terrorist attacks dropped by 27 % (115 ‘terrorist attacks’ in 2018 and 84 in 2019).949
PIPS differentiated the ‘terrorist attacks’ in 2019 between attacks carried out by religious inspired
groups (26 attacks), Baloch insurgents groups (51 attacks) and sectarian-related attacks (7).950 PICSS
mentioned that militants in 2019 used suicide bombings, firearms, IEDs, hand grenades and rockets.
Targeted killings and kidnappings were also observed. IEDs were used in the majority of the attacks.951
From 1 January to 31 July 2020, ACLED coded 65 violent events in Balochistan. 27 of which were coded
as battles, 19 as explosions/remote violence and 19 as violence against civilians.952 In this timeframe,
the majority of incidents were reported in Kech (16 violent events), Dera Bughti (7 violent events) andPanjgur (7 violent events).953
In the first seven months of 2020, PIPS observed 37 overall incidents, 23 of which were indicated as‘terrorist attacks’ in the province.954 During the same period, the districts where most ‘terrorist
attacks’ took place are: Kech, Quetta and Qilla Abdullah.955 PICSS counted 30 incidents of violence.
More than half of these incidents (21) were militant attacks.956

943 International News (The), TTP expands footprint in Balochistan as Quetta Safe City project remains in limbo, 10 April 2019,url
944 Amir Rana, M., Militant Landscape of Balochistan, 19 June 2020, url, p. 15
945 Diplomat (The), Hazaras Gripped by Religious Extremism in Balochistan, 16 April 2019, url; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report

2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 47
946 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 47
947 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Balochistan; Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2019-31 December2019), url
948 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 41
949 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 40; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url,
p. 40
950 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, pp. 40-41
951 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 39
952 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Balochistan; Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2020-31 July 2020),
url
953 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Balochistan; Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2020-31 July 2020),
url
954 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
955 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
956 Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PICSS

88

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

In the first months of 2020, a rise in attacks of Baloch insurgent groups on the security forces wasobserved.957 On 18 May 2020, one soldier was killed in an exchange of fire with militants in the Mandarea of the Kech district.958 On 19 May 2020, a military convoy was hit by a roadside bomb blast in Pir
Ghaib area in the south-east of Quetta, killing six soldiers.959 On 14 July 2020, the BLF claimed
responsibility for attacking a military convoy in Panjgur district. Three soldiers were killed and eight
injured.960
Attacks by Islamic militant groups were also observed in the first half of 2020. On 7 January 2020, a
motorcycle bombing occurred near a Frontier Corps vehicle in Quetta. The attack killed at least two
and injured several others according to Waseem Baig, spokesman for the city's main government
hospital.961 According to reports, HuA claimed responsibility.962 On 10 January 2020, a suicide bomber
inside a Taliban-run mosque in Quetta killed at least 15 people and injured at least 19 people.963
According to VoA this attack was claimed by ISKP.964 On 17 February 2020, a suicide bombing occurredin Quetta in the vicinity of a Sunni extremist religious rally near a press club. At least 8 people, including
three police officers, were killed and another 16 people were injured.965
Impact of the violence on the civilian population
PIPS reported that 225 people were killed and 456 injured in 2019 in 106 incidents.966 According to
PIPS, among the reported 84 ‘terrorist attacks’ in Balochistan most casualties fell within the security
forces, civilians and the Shia community.967 PIPS documented that in 2019 the capital, Quetta, lost thehighest number of lives due to violence. Other districts that suffered high casualties from violence
were Kech, Qilla Abdullah, Nasirabad and Loralai.968 PICSS noted a decline in militant attacks andcasualties in 2019 compared to 2018 in Balochistan.969
CRSS counted 624 casualties (226 fatalities and 395 injured) in the province of Balochistan in 2019, a
lower number compared to 2018 (937 casualties).970 Civilians were most targeted, followed by security
personnel and militants/insurgents.971 According to CRSS, Balochistan together with Sindh had thehighest number of sectarian conflict fatalities. The Sunni and the Shia community were targeted in
2019.972
According to data issued by CRSS in its 2020 first and second quarter analysis report, a total of 112
casualties (61 fatalities, 51 injured) were counted in Balochistan. In the second quarter of 2020,
fatalities and injured decreased in the province compared to the first quarter of 2020.973

957 Diplomat (The), Amid a Pandemic, Pakistan Focuses on a Baloch Insurgency, 26 June 2020, url; Mohanty Ranjan, T.,

Pakistan: Violent Retaliation In Balochistan – Analysis, 8 June 2020, South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR), volume 18, no.
50, url
958 Gandhara, Eight Paramilitary Troops Killed In Pakistan Bombings, Shooting 19 May 2020, url
959 Al Jazeera, Soldiers killed in two separate attacks in Pakistan's Balochistan, 19 May 2020, url
960 VoA, Militant Ambush Kills 3 Pakistani Troops in Baluchistan, 14 July 2020, url
961 Al Jazeera, Blast in Pakistan's Quetta kills two, wounds many: Officials, 7 January 2020, url
962 Dawn, 2 killed, over a dozen injured as blast targets FC vehicle in Quetta, 7 January 2020, url
963 Dawn, Blast inside Quetta mosque claims 15 lives, injures 19, 10 January 2020, url
964 VoA, Pakistan Mosque Bombing Kills 15, 10 January 2020, url
965 Gandhara, Suicide Bomber Kills Eight, Wounds 16 At Radical Sunni Islamist Rally In Pakistan, 17 February 2020, url
966 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 41
967 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 41
968 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 41
969 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 38
970 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 5, p. 23; CRSS, CRSS Annual Security Report Special Edition2013 – 2018, March 2019, url, p. 12
971 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 23
972 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 31
973 CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, First Quarter, 2020, 7 April 2020, url; CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, Second
Quarter, 2020, 16 July 2020, url

89Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Displacement
IDMC did not mention any displacement in 2019.974 Among the consulted sources, no further
information was found about any conflict-induced displacement from areas in and to Balochistan in2019 and the first seven months of 2020.975

2.2.4 Sindh
General description of the province
The province of Sindh (see Map 1) is situated in the south-east of Pakistan. It borders the province of
Balochistan in the north and in the west, the province of Punjab in the north-east and the Arabian Sea
in the south.976 The provincial capital, Karachi is the largest city in Pakistan with approximately 15 to
20 million people.977 According to the 2017 census, the number is 14.9 million people officially. But
more realistic estimates put it between 20 and 25 million.978 The province is divided in six
administrative divisions and six cantonment areas. These cantonment areas are subdivisions of the
Karachi division.979 Karachi is the part of Sindh where significant sectarian, ethnic and political violenceoccurs. However, the security situation in the city improved gradually during the last years.980 Karachi
attracts migration from every major ethnic and linguistic group in Pakistan owing to the city’s
economic potential.981 The population consists of Muhajir and Pashtun982, Punjabi, Sindhi and Balochpeople.983 According to the last population census figures of 2017 published by the Pakistan Bureauof Statistics, the population of Sindh is 47.9 million.984
Background of the conflict and actors in Sindh
Since 5 September 2013, a security operation is ongoing in Sindh, mainly focusing on the capital
Karachi. According to the 2019 security report PIPS, the purpose of this operation is to tackle four
categories of violent groups involved in violence in the city: the Pakistani Taliban, sectarian armed
groups, armed wings of ethno-political parties and criminal gangs.985 The Rangers have been given‘special powers’ to tackle the variety of violence, not just ethno-political, but also sectarian violenceand extortion.986 In April 2020, these ‘special powers’ were renewed for another 90 days.987
In the first half of 2019 multiple security agencies in Sindh warned of attacks on foreign consulates,
foreign engineers working for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), security forces, sensitive
areas such as airports, political and religious leaders and places of worship of minorities. Most attacks
were planned by the TTP, according to the Sindh police.988 In the last years, rural Sindh especially has
974 IDMC, GRID 2020 Global Report on Internal Displacement, 28 April 2020, url, p. 50
975

IDMC, GRID 2020 Global Report on Internal Displacement, 28 April 2020, url, p. 50; Websites consulted:
http://www.unocha.org/pakistan;
https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/pakistan;
http://reliefweb.int/country/pak
976 Fazli, S., EASO, EASO COI Meeting Report: Pakistan; 16-17 October 2017, Rome, February 2018, url, pp. 87-88
977 Guardian (The), 'Inspired by Central Park': the new city for a million outside Karachi, 8 July 2019, url
978 Fazli, S., EASO, EASO COI Meeting Report: Pakistan; 16-17 October 2017, Rome, February 2018, url, p. 88
979 Express Tribune (The), Sindh’s six divisions see fractional change in population, 28 August 2017, url
980 International News (The), Karachi’s improving law and order situation, facts and figures, 9 July 2019, url
981 Newsline Magazine, The Invisible Half, November 2019, url; Fazli, S., EASO, EASO COI Meeting Report: Pakistan; 16-17
October 2017, Rome, February 2018, url, p. 88; Bol News, Karachi – A Case Study Of The Impacts Of Rural To Urban Migration,
18 December 2019, url; IISS, Urban drivers of political violence: declining state authority and armed groups in Mogadishu,
Nairobi, Kabul and Karachi, 18 May 2020, url, p. 22
982 Fazli, S., EASO, EASO COI Meeting Report: Pakistan; 16-17 October 2017, Rome, February 2018, url, p. 88;
983 Diplomat (The), Karachi’s Migrants and Militants, 14 November 2017, url
984 Pakistan, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Provisional Summary Results of 6th Population & Housing Census-2017, 25 August
2017, url
985 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, pp. 125-126
986 Fazli, S., EASO, EASO COI Meeting Report: Pakistan; 16-17 October 2017; Rome, February 2018, url, p. 93
987 International News (The), Rangers’ powers extended till June 30, 5 May 2020, url
988 Express Tribune (The), Police foil 105 terrorist attacks, 7 July 2019, url

90Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

emerged as ‘a new hotbed of militancy’, where several militant groups, particularly the TTP and theLeJ, have become active through their support and use of a local militant group led by Hafeez Brohi.989
According to PIPS, most attacks in the province in 2019 were carried out by unknown militants, Sindhi
nationalist groups such as SDLA and SDRA and the BLA.990 Muhammad Amir Rana, a security analyst,
stated in July 2020 in Dawn that there is an increase in violence in Sindh since June 2020.991 The SDRA
and the SDLA carried out five attacks in June and July 2020 in different areas of the province (Karachi,
Larkana and Ghotki). The Rangers were the main target.992 The Sindhi nationalists groups havedeveloped a connection with the BLA which is providing training to their militants in return forlogistical support for its operations in Karachi.993 In July 2020, The News on Sunday stated that a new
militant group, the Mohajir Freedom Fighters (MFF) emerged.994 Abdul Basit, a security analyst, statedthat ‘the attacks have geopolitical underpinnings and should be seen in the context of India-China
border dispute and the intra-Afghan peace process.’995
Besides militancy, the province and especially the city of Karachi witnessed a lot of political, ethnic
and gang-related violence.996 The power struggle remains between the political parties of the main
ethnic groups.997 Apart from this political violence, crime is present in Karachi.998
Description of recent security trends
ACLED collected data on 209 violent events in Sindh from reports in open sources in the year 2019, 87
of which were coded as battles, 5 as explosions/remote violence and 117 as violence against civilians.
Karachi stood out as the district where most incidents were reported with 62 violent events, followed
by Shikarpur with 17 violent events and Dadu with 16 violent events.999
In 2019, PIPS recorded 14 ‘terrorist attacks’ across the province, ten of these attacks took place in
Karachi and four in interior Sindh. This is a slight increase compared to 2018 when 12 ‘terrorist attacks’occurred.1000 Among those attacks, there were both sectarian-related and nationalist-inspired
attacks.1001 PICSS observed in 2019, four militant attacks. This included incidents of one physicalassault, one IED-based attack, one cracker attack and one incident of targeted killing.1002
From 1 January to 31 July 2020, ACLED coded 28 violent events in Sindh; 13 of which were coded asbattles, 3 as explosions/remote violence and 12 as violence against civilians.1003 In this timeframe,
most of the incidents were reported in Karachi (15 violent events), Naushahro Feroze (3 violent
events) and Matiari (3 violent events).1004

989 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, pp. 129-130
990 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 21
991 Amir Rana, M., Missing political approaches, 12 July 2020, Dawn, url
992 Amir Rana, M., Missing political approaches, 12 July 2020, Dawn, url
993 Amir Rana, M., Missing political approaches, 12 July 2020, Dawn, url; Arab News, Sindhi, Baloch ‘separatists’ forming ties

in Sindh, Pakistani officials say, 13 July 2020, url
994 News on Sunday (The), A new wave of terror, 5 July 2020, url
995 News on Sunday (The), A new wave of terror, 5 July 2020, url
996 International News (The), Ethnic divisions termed threat to Karachi’s peace, 30 June 2019, url
997 Dawn, 'Hitmen' allegedly involved in attacks on MQM-P, PSP arrested: Sindh Rangers, 25 February 2019, url
998 Dawn, Karachi crime's changing face, 27 November 2018, url
999 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Sindh; Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2019-31 December 2019),
url
1000 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 48
1001 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 48
1002 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 50
1003 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Sindh; Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2020-31 July 2020), url
1004 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Sindh; Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2019-31 July 2020), url

91

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

In the first seven months of 2020, PIPS observed 13 overall incidents of which 11 were mentioned as‘terrorist attacks’ in the province.1005 In the first seven months of 2020, the districts where most‘terrorist attacks’ took place are: Karachi and Larkana.1006 PICSS counted 34 incidents of violence. Less
than half of these incidents (11) were militant attacks.1007
As mentioned above, in June 2020, multiple attacks on the Rangers were documented. On
18 June 2020, two Rangers were killed and another injured in three separate attacks in Ghotki, Karachi
and Larkana. The SDRA claimed responsibility for all these attacks.1008 On 29 June 2020, four militantsof the BLA attacked the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) building in Karachi. At least three security
guards and a police sub-inspector were killed, while seven people were injured during the attack. The
four militants were also killed.1009
Impact of the violence on the civilian population
According to PIPS, in 14 ‘terrorist attacks’ a total of 18 people were killed and two injured in theprovince in 2019.1010 PICSS counted six casualties (four killed and two injured).1011 CRSS counted 126
casualties (101 fatalities and 25 injured) in the province of Sindh in 2019, a serious decline compared
to 2018 (278 casualties).1012 The majority of the casualties were civilians (67) and security officials(25).1013
CRSS counted in total 37 casualties (35 fatalities, 2 injured) in the first and second quarter analysis
report of 2020. In the second quarter of 2020, casualties (28) increased in the province whencompared to the first quarter of 2019 (9).1014
Displacement
In April 2020, IDMC stated in its GRID 2020 Global Report on Internal Displacement that
Intercommunal violence against Hindu communities in Ghotki city and Christian communities in
Karachi displaced hundreds of families in 2019.1015 Among the consulted sources there was no further
information found about any conflict-induced displacement from areas in and to Sindh in 2019 andthe first seven months of 2020.1016

2.2.5 Islamabad Capital Territory
General description of the territory
Islamabad Capital Territory (see Map 1) is situated in the north of Pakistan between the provinces of
KP and Punjab and includes the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad. The administrative status of Islamabad
Capital Territory is not very clear. The territory of the Islamabad Capital Territory is not demarcatedand separated from adjoining areas.1017 Islamabad has an ‘eclectic mix of Punjabi, Pakhtun, Seriaki,
1005 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
1006 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
1007 Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 – data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PICSS
1008 Express Tribune (The), People in Moro protest attacks on Sindh Rangers, 21 June 2020, url
1009 Al Jazeera, Pakistan: 4 killed in attack on Karachi stock exchange, 29 June 2020, url
1010 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 48
1011 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 50
1012 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 28; CRSS, CRSS Annual Security Report Special Edition 2013

– 2018, March 2019, url, p. 121013 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 28
1014 CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, First Quarter, 2020, 7 April 2020, url; CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, Second
Quarter, 2020, 16 July 2020, url
1015 IDMC, GRID 2020 Global Report on Internal Displacement, 28 April 2020, url, p. 50
1016 IDMC, GRID 2020 Global Report on Internal Displacement, 28 April 2020, url, p. 50; Websites consulted:
http://www.unocha.org/pakistan;
https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/pakistan;
http://reliefweb.int/country/pak
1017 International News (The), Islamabad: the deprived capital, 30 June 2019, url

92

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Sindhi, Kashmiri and Baloch ethnicities’. Islamabad has a relatively big proportion of religious
minorities compared to other parts of the country, with 10 % of the inhabitants being non-Muslims.1018
According to the last population census figures published in 2017 by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics,
the population of Islamabad Capital Territory is 2 million.1019 Half of the population is living in urban
areas.1020
Background of the conflict and actors in Islamabad Capital Territory
According to a report by Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) published on 17 April 2020, thelevel of security in Islamabad is high. The capital remains an attractive target due to the prevalence ofgovernment institutions, foreign missions, and administration officials.1021 In the aftermath of theattack on the Karachi Stock Exchange, security measures were increased in Islamabad.1022
Description of recent security trends
ACLED collected data on 13 violent events in Islamabad Capital territory from reports in open sourcesin the year 2019, 6 of which were coded as battles, none as explosions/remote violence and 7 asviolence against civilians.1023
In 2019, PIPS recorded one ‘terrorist attack’ in Islamabad Capital Territory. In comparison, PIPS did
not count a single ‘terrorist attack’ in 2018.1024
From 1 January to 31 July 2020, ACLED coded 2 violent events in Islamabad Capital Territory 1 of whichwere coded as battles, and 1 as violence against civilians.1025 In the first seven months of 2020, PIPS
observed no violent incidents in the province.1026 PICSS counted 3 incidents of violence in thistimeframe.1027
On 26 May 2020, two policemen were killed in the outskirts of the capital. HuA claimed responsibility
for the attack.1028
Impact of the violence on the civilian population
In 2019, the CRSS annual security report recorded 9 casualties (7 fatalities, 2 injured) from violence inIslamabad Capital Territory.1029 Among the casualties were four security personnel and three civilians(an unknown person, an activist of SSP and a Chinese national).1030
According to CRSS data, in the first and second quarter analysis report of 2020, in total 9 casualties (6fatalities, 3 injured) were counted.1031

1018 Friday Times (The), Battleground Islamabad, 22 June 2018, url
1019 Pakistan, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Provisional Summary Results of 6th Population & Housing Census-2017, 25 August

2017, url
1020 International News (The), Islamabad: the deprived capital, 30 June 2019, url
1021 OSAC, Pakistan 2020 Crime & Safety Report: Islamabad, 17 April 2020, url
1022 International News (The), Security beefed up in Islamabad, 30 June 2020, url
1023 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Islamabad; Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2019-31 December2019), url
1024 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 20; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url
1025 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Islamabad; Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2020-31 July 2020), url
1026 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
1027 Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PICSS
1028 Gandhara, Suspected Militants Kill Two Pakistani Policemen In Islamabad, 27 May 2020, url
1029 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url,p. 291030 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url,p. 29
1031 CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, First Quarter, 2020, 7 April 2020, url; CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, Second
Quarter, 2020, 16 July 2020, url

93Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Displacement
Among the consulted sources, no information was found about any conflict-induced displacementfrom areas in and to Islamabad Capital territory in 2019 and the first seven months of 2020.1032

2.2.6 Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan
General description of the region
The Pakistan-controlled territory of Kashmir consists of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK or commonly
called Azad Kashmir, AK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) (see Map 1).1033 Both regions have a partiallyautonomous administration.1034 However, the influence of the government of Pakistan is far-reaching.
The Kashmir council (where the federal state has the power) has been reduced to an advisory role.1035
AK has a population of about 3-4.5 million.1036 The majority in AJK is Muslim.1037 GB has approximately
1.5 million inhabitants.1038 GB has three administrative divisions: Chilas, Gilgit and Baltistan and isfurther divided into ten districts.1039 The population of GB are mostly Shia.1040 According to an article
by researcher Ajit Kumar Singh, the region of GB is ‘now dominated by Urdu and Punjabi speaking
Sunnis’. This occurred due to demographic change fostered by the federal government.1041
Background of the conflict and actors in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan
The territory of Kashmir is a disputed area divided between India, Pakistan and China but claimed inits entirety by Pakistan and India. The Pakistan-India relationship has been historically tense for
decades.1042 India accuses Pakistan of supporting militant groups1043 like JeM, LeT and Hizb-ulMujahideen (HM) and having their operational bases in the Pakistan and Indian-administrated
Kashmir region.1044 Militant groups in the region of Indian-administrated Kashmir address theirdiscontent about the status of the area and recruit young people.1045 A month after the Pulwama
attack, in February 2019, Pakistan started ‘a crackdown’ on groups it claims are linked to banned
organisations.1046 In April 2020, an increase in violence across the LoC was remarked.1047
According to the Jamestown Foundation, the wave of attacks in August 2018 in Gilgit-Baltistan showedthat the area is vulnerable to militant attacks. The article suggested further the resurgence of the TTP
in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. The wave of attacks in August 2018 demonstrated the group’s possibility

1032

IDMC, GRID 2020 Global Report on Internal Displacement, 28 April 2020, url, p. 50; Websites consulted:
http://www.unocha.org/pakistan;
https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/pakistan;
http://reliefweb.int/country/pak
1033 OHCHR, Update of the Situation of Human Rights in Indian-Administered Kashmir and Pakistan-Administered Kashmirfrom May 2018 to April 2019, 8July 2019, url, p. 34; Reuters, Kashmiris oppose Pakistan's Northern Areas package, 31 August
2019, url
1034 Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2019 - Pakistani Kashmir, 4 February 2019, url
1035 OHCHR, Update of the Situation of Human Rights in Indian-Administered Kashmir and Pakistan-Administered Kashmirfrom May 2018 to April 2019, 8July 2019, url, p. 34
1036 Reuters, Explainer: Scenic Kashmir at the heart of India-Pakistani animosity, 15 February 2019, url; Nation (The), Census
2017: AJK population rises to over 4m, 27 August 2017, url
1037 Reuters, Explainer: Scenic Kashmir at the heart of India-Pakistani animosity, 15 February 2019, url
1038 Nation (The), The importance of Gilgit Baltistan, 14 November 2018, url
1039 Nation (The), The importance of Gilgit Baltistan, 14 November 2018, url
1040 Binodkumar Singh, S., Pakistan: Gilgit Baltistan: Deception, 13 August 2018, SAIR, volume 17, number 7, url
1041 Kumar Singh, A., Gilgit Baltistan: Changing the Status, 23 March 2020, SAIR, volume 18, no. 39, url
1042 RFE/RL, India Blames Pakistan, Demands Action After Kashmir Attack, 15 February 2019, url; DW, Kashmir: The world's
most dangerous conflict, 7 August 2019, url
1043 RFE/RL, India Blames Pakistan, Demands Action After Kashmir Attack, 15 February 2019, url
1044 Al Jazeera, Explainer: Who are Kashmir's armed groups?, 3 March 2019, url
1045 Diplomat (The), Kashmir’s Teenage Militants, 27 December 2018, url
1046 Al Jazeera, India-Pakistan tensions: All the latest updates, 10 March 2019, url
1047 Dalton, T., How Different Is the “New Normal” from the Old Normal in South Asian Crises?, 8 May 2020, Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace, url

94Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

to recruit people as well as its ability and willingness to conduct a variety of attacks.1048 Elections in
Gilgit-Baltistan were foreseen for 18 August 2020 but this was postponed until 28 October 2020.1049
Description of recent security trends
ACLED collected data on 96 violent events in Azad Kashmir from open source reports in the year 2019,
71 of which were coded as battles, 19 as explosions/remote violence and 6 as violence against
civilians.1050
PIPS did not mention any ‘terrorist attack’ in Azad Kashmir in 2019 compared to one ‘terrorist attack’
in 2018.1051 PICSS reported one militant attack in 2019 and described the security situation in Azad
Kashmir as ‘stable’.1052 However, the situation at the LoC remained ‘relatively more volatile’ in 2019,according to PIPS.1053 PIPS counted 123 cross-border attacks from the border with India.1054
Following a suicide attack claimed by JeM on an Indian paramilitary convoy on 14 February 2019,
which killed 42 soldiers in Pulwama (Indian-administered Kashmir), tensions rose between Pakistan
and India.1055 The Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported that on 31 July 2019 along the LoC at the sideof Azad Kashmir Indian troops resorted to what officials described as ‘carpet bombing’.1056 Twocivilians were killed and at least 19 others were wounded in upper and lower belts of Neelum
valley.1057 The UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan observed and reported an increase inmilitary activity at the LoC in the beginning of August 2019.1058 On 5 August 2019, India revoked
Indian-administered Kashmir's special autonomy through a presidential decree.1059 Pakistan reacted
by stating that it would ‘exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps’ taken by India
regarding Indian-administered Kashmir.1060
From 1 January 2020 to 31 July 2020, ACLED coded 78 violent events in Azad Kashmir; 68 of whichwere coded as battles, 9 as explosions/remote violence and 1 as violence against civilians.1061 In thistimeframe most incidents were reported in Haveli (24 violent events), Khotli (21 violent events) and
Bhimber (11 violent events).1062
In the first seven months of 2020, PIPS observed 74 overall incidents. None were classified as ‘terrorist
attacks’.1063 PICSS did not mention any violent incidents in 2020.1064 In the same period PIPS recorded

1048 Zahid, F., Recent Wave of Terrorism in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan Region, 2 November 2018, in Terrorism Monitor, Volume

16, Issue 21, url
1049 International News (The), Gilgit-Baltistan elections postponed, 10 July 2020, url
1050 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Azad Kashmir; Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2019-31 December2019), url
1051 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2018, 6 January 2019, url, p. 51; PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url,
p. 20
1052 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 51
1053 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 231054 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url,, pp. 59-60
1055 Al Jazeera, Kashmir suicide attack kills dozens of Indian security forces, 14 February 2019, url
1056 Dawn, 2 killed, at least 19 injured due to 'carpet bombing' by Indian troops along LoC, 31 July 2019, url
1057 Dawn, 2 killed, at least 19 injured due to 'carpet bombing' by Indian troops along LoC, 31 July 2019, url
1058 GEO News TV, UN appeals to India, Pakistan to exercise restraint as tensions mount in Kashmir, 5 August 2019, url
1059 Dawn, India revokes occupied Kashmir's special autonomy through rushed presidential decree, 5 August 2019, url
1060 Dawn, Pakistan says it will exercise all possible options to counter 'illegal steps' taken by India in IoK, 5 August 2019, url
1061 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Azad Kashmir; Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2020-31 July 2020),
url
1062 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;
Azad Kashmir; Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2020-31 July 2020),
url
1063 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
1064 Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PICSS

95

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

75 incidents of violence at the Pakistan-India border.1065 Toby Dalton, an expert on South Asia and East
Asia, stated the following in an article of May 2020:‘Indian media reports suggest an increase in terrorist group infiltrations over the Line ofControl from Pakistan. Cross-border shelling incidents between the Indian and Pakistan
Armies are rising in frequency.’1066
In July 2020, the Pakistan army stated that there has been an escalation in firing and shelling acrossthe LoC. According to the army there were approximately 1 800 violations since 2020. The increase ofincidents during the summer season since June 2020 has been more noticeable than in previous
years.1067
ACLED collected data on two violent events in Gilgit-Baltistan from reports in open sources in the year
2019, of which both were coded as violence against civilians.1068 According to PICSS, not a single
militant attack occurred in 2019 in Gilgit-Baltistan.1069 PIPS recorded also no ‘terrorist attacks’ in thearea in 2019.1070
From 1 January to31 July 2020, ACLED coded two violent events in Azad Kashmir, one of which wascoded as battles, and the other as violence against civilians.1071 In the first seven months of 2020, PIPS
observed no incidents.1072 PICSS mentions only one violent incident without casualties in 2020.1073
Impact of the violence on the civilian population
In 2019, CRSS documented nine casualties (one fatality, eight injured) of violence in Azad Kashmir.1074
In July 2020, CRSS compiled a report on the civilian casualties due to the Pakistan-Indian borderconflict in the period from 2016 until May 2020. According to CRSS, from 2016 until May 2020, 876
Pakistani casualties were reported (325 fatalities, 552 injured). The majority of the casualties were
civilians (724).1075 Five sectors (Poonch, Nakyal, Bhimber, Muzaffarabad and Rawlakot) faced frequentcross-border shelling and firing, resulting in a higher number of casualties compared to other sectors
in 2016-May 2020.1076 PIPS documented 123 incidents at the LoC, in which 85 people were killed and
226 injured in 2019.1077
A July 2019 report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
stated that people living in Azad as well as in Gilgit-Baltistan are deprived of fundamental humanrights, particularly the freedoms of expression and opinion.1078 Ceasefire infringements in 2018 and1065 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
1066 Dalton, T., How Different Is the “New Normal” from the Old Normal in South Asian Crises?, 8 May 2020, Carnegie

Endowment for International Peace, url
1067 Gandhara, In Disputed Kashmir, Pakistan Accuses India Of Increased Shelling, 23 July 2020, url
1068 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;Gilgit Baltistan; Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2019-31 December2019), url
1069 PICSS, Annual Security Assessment Report 2019, 9 January 2020, url, p. 52
1070 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, p. 20
1071 Cedoca analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, South Asia (Filters applied: Pakistan;Gilgit Baltistan; Event types: battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians; 1 January 2020-31 July2020),url
1072 Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PIPS
1073 Khan, A. email, 3 August 2020 - data 01/01/2020-31/07/2020 courtesy of PICSS
1074 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 29
1075 CRSS, Pakistan-India Border Conflict: Civilian Casualty Report (2016 – 2020), 3 July 2020, url
1076 CRSS, Pakistan-India Border Conflict: Civilian Casualty Report (2016 – 2020), 3 July 2020, url
1077 PIPS, Pakistan Security Report 2019, 5 January 2020, url, pp. 59-60
1078 OHCHR, Update of the Situation of Human Rights in Indian-Administered Kashmir and Pakistan-Administered Kashmirfrom May 2018 to April 2019, 8 July 2019, url, pp. 34-43

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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

2019 resulted in the killing of civilians, destruction of civilian property and displacement of people inPakistan-administered Kashmir, according to OHCHR.1079
According to data in the first and second quarter analysis report of 2020 conducted by CRSS, nocasualties of violence were reported in AK.1080 Figures released by the Pakistani Foreign Office andcited by Dawn in July 2020, showed that since the beginning of 2020 India made 1 595 ceasefire
violations, during which 14 people were killed and 121 were injured.1081 Locals living closely the LoC
stated that shelling and firing occur nearly on a daily basis.1082 In May 2020, seven people got injuredin Bhimber and Poonch after shelling.1083 On 18 June 2020, four civilians were killed due to shellingfrom the Indian side in Nakyal region and Baghsar area.1084
CRSS documented no casualties due to violence in Gilgit-Baltistan in 2019.1085 In the first and second
quarter of 2020 CRSS also counted no casualties.1086
Displacement
A GRID 2020 Global Report by IDMC stated that 15 000 displacements were caused in 2019 by anincrease in shelling across the LoC. Those who fled stayed with host families or in camps, and mostreturned to their homes within a week.1087 Among the consulted sources no information was foundabout any conflict-induced displacement from areas in and to Gilgit-Baltistan in 2019 and the firstseven months of 2020.1088

1079 OHCHR, Update of the Situation of Human Rights in Indian-Administered Kashmir and Pakistan-Administered Kashmirfrom May 2018 to April 2019, 8 July 2019, url, p. 411080 CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, First Quarter, 2020, 7 April 2020, url; CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, Second
Quarter, 2020, 16 July 2020, url
1081 Dawn, FO summons Indian envoy to register 'strong protest' after 5 injured by firing across LoC, 6 July 2020, url
1082 Gandhara, In Disputed Kashmir, Pakistan Accuses India Of Increased Shelling, 23 July 2020, url
1083 Dawn, Seven injured in Indian shelling from across LoC, 5 May 2020, url
1084 Al Jazeera, Pakistan says four civilians killed by Indian shelling across LoC, 18 June 2020, url
1085 CRSS, Annual Security Report 2019, 28 January 2020, url, p. 7, p. 291086 CRSS, Quarterly Security Repo rt 2020, First Quarter, 2020, 7 April 2020, url; CRSS, Quarterly Security Report 2020, Second
Quarter, 2020, 16 July 2020, url
1087 IDMC,GRID 2020 Global Report on Internal Displacement, 28 April 2020, url, p. 50
1088 IDMC, GRID 2020 Global Report on Internal Displacement, 28 April 2020, url, p. 50; Websites consulted:
http://www.unocha.org/pakistan;
https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/pakistan;
http://reliefweb.int/country/pak97

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Annex 1: Bibliography
Oral sources, including anonymous sources
Hashim, A., email, 6 July 2020. Asad Hashim is a Pakistani journalist covering Pakistan.
Khan Mahsud, M., email, 30 June 2020. Mansur Khan Mahsud is the executive director of FATA
Research Center (FRC) (https://frc.org.pk/).
Khan Mahsud, M., email, 8 August 2020. Mansur Khan Mahsud is the executive director of FATA
Research Center (FRC) (https://frc.org.pk/).
Khan, A., email, 3 August 2020. Abdullah Khan is the managing director of Pakistan Institute for
Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) (https://www.picss.net/).
Kugelman, M., email, 6 August 2020. Michael Kugelman is the Asia Program Deputy Director andSenior Associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (UnitedStates).
Rana Amir, M., email, 4 August 2020. Mohammad Amir Rana is a security and political analyst anddirector of the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) (https://www.pakpips.com/).
UNOCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) Pakistan, email, 9 July
2020

Public sources
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Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Annex 2: Terms of Reference
The report aims to provide information on the security situation in Pakistan, which is relevant for theassessment of international protection status determination, including refugee status and subsidiary
protection. An important goal of this report is to provide detailed information on a regional, provincial
or even district level. The reporting period for incidents and events illustrating the general trends ofthe conflict, is 1 August 2019 until 31 July 2020. The terms of reference were drafted by Cedoca in
consultation with EASO and the COI Specialist Network on Pakistan.

The content of the report should contain information on the following topics:
General description of the security situation:• Background of the conflict
Overview of recent conflicts• Actors in/Parties to the conflict• Recent security trends and security trends• Impact of the violence
Civilian population: casualties, IDPs, refugees
State ability to secure Law and Order: security forces, justice, detention
Geographical overview of the security situation

Regional description of the security situation:• Punjab• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (including former FATA and a description of the KP tribal
districts in detail)• Sindh• Balochistan• Islamabad• Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan

For each region, a short description of the region (terrain, urban areas, population) should be included,
followed by information on:• General description of the region• Background of insecurity in the region: actors, type of violence• Recent security trends (focus on 2019 and first seven months of 2020) according to the fourmain sources (number of incidents, example of the kind of violence, effects of the violence)• Displacement/return136

Country of origin information report | Pakistan: Security Situation

Annex 3: Query list
The following questions were sent by email to the following experts: Asad Hasim and Michael
Kugelman.
1. Description of the security situation in all the provinces of Pakistan during 2019
2. Description of the security situation in all the provinces of Pakistan during the first half of 2020
3. What are the main evolutions in the security situation in 2020 compared to 2019 in Pakistan?
4. Which militant groups have been the main actors of instability in Pakistan in 2020 and can you
elaborate on the reasons why?
5. Who or what have been the main targets of militant groups in Pakistan during 2019 and 2020?
6a. The situation for journalists has reportedly deteriorated. What impact has this situation had on
media reporting on the security situation in Pakistan?
6b. Has the COVID-19 outbreak had an impact on media reporting on the security situation, and how?
7. What measures have been adopted by the Pakistan armed forces to respond to the security
situation in 2020?
The following questions were sent by email to the following experts: Mansur Khan Mahsud.
1. Description of the security situation in all the tribal districts of Pakistan 2019
2. Description of the security situation in all the tribal districts of Pakistan 2020
3. What are the main evolutions in the security situation in the tribal districts in 2020 compared to2019?
4. Which militant groups have been the main actors of instability in the tribal districts in 2020 and canyou elaborate on the reasons why?
5. Who or what have been the main targets of militant groups in the tribal districts during 2019 and2020?
6a. The situation for journalists has reportedly deteriorated. What impact has this situation had on
media reporting on the security situation in Pakistan?
6b. Has the COVID-19 outbreak had an impact on media reporting on the security situation, and how?
7. What measures have been adopted by the Pakistan armed forces to respond to the security
situation in 2020 in the tribal districts?

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