Report raises concerns about violence-related fatalities

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces lost a minimum of 386 personnel, accounting for 36% of all fatalities, including 137 from the army and 208 from the police during the first nine months of 2023. This marks an eight-year high as the country continues to combat proxy terrorism, primarily in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

According to a report issued by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), out of the 1,087 violence-related fatalities recorded so far this year, the outlaws accounted for 368 (34%), followed by civilians with 333 (31%) fatalities [CRSS Security Report – Q3 2023].

The report further highlights a consistent and concerning surge in violence over the past five years in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan provinces.

Additionally, the report raises concerns about the collective percentage of violence-related fatalities in these two provinces, which has shown a disturbing upward trend over the last five years. Together, they accounted for 72% of all fatalities in 2019, a figure that surged to a staggering 92% in the first nine months of 2023.

In the third quarter of 2023 alone, 445 lives were lost, and 440 people suffered injuries due to as many as 190 terror attacks and counter-terror operations. KP and Balochistan provinces remained the primary centers of violence, accounting for nearly 94% of all fatalities and 89% of attacks, including incidents of terrorism and security force operations, during this period, the report said.

During the last three months (Q3 2023), there was an alarming 57% surge in violence, with the overall number of fatalities increasing from 284 in Q2 to 445 in Q3, 2023. This included a staggering 131% uptick in Balochistan and a 28% increase in KP. Punjab witnessed a substantial 67% decrease in violence compared to the previous quarter, while Sindh saw a 283% rise in violence, although the number of fatalities remained relatively low (23), it said.

Almost 79% of all violence-related casualties recorded in Q3, 2023 resulted from terrorism. There were 141 terrorist attacks causing 318 fatalities and 381 injuries to civilians and security personnel. On the other hand, security operations numbered as low as 49, resulting in 127 outlaws killed and 59 injured. This reflects a significant disparity between the frequency of terror attacks and counter-terror operations, as well as the number of outlaws eliminated in security operations.

Civilians bore the heaviest brunt of violence in this quarter, accounting for nearly 58% of all casualties, followed by security personnel at nearly 23%. The outlaws accounted for the lowest proportion, constituting only about 20% of all casualties during this period.

The first nine months of 2023 reveal some alarming trends concerning the security forces’ losses. Firstly, with 386 lives lost so far this year, their fatalities have reached an eight-year high, surpassing the levels seen in 2016 and being the highest since 2015. Secondly, their percentage of fatalities among other victims of violence recorded this year (nearly 36%) has also reached an 11-year high. Thirdly, starting from 2021 onwards, there has been a constant increase in their number of fatalities.