Pakistan

Peoples Under Threat Ranking:
#11
2

Communities at risk

Shi'a (incl. Hazara), Ahmadiyya, Hindus and other religious minorities, Baluchis, Mohhajirs, Pashtun, Sindhis

Summary

Pakistan remains wracked by insecurity. Through 2020–21, militant attacks on state security personnel and civilians have steadily risen in number, mainly in Khyber Paktunkhwa and Baluchistan provinces at the hands of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and Baluch separatists, who have also targeted Chinese infrastructure projects. The results of a recent ceasefire agreement between the government… Read more »

Peoples Under Threat Data

2021 Data Peoples under Threat value
Self-determination conflicts5
Major armed conflict2
Prior genocide / politicide1
Flight of refugees and IDPs0.0014
Legacy of vengeance - group grievance8.8
Rise of factionalized elites9.0
Voice and Accountability-0.880
Political Stability-1.853
Rule of Law-0.692
OECD country risk classification7
TOTAL17.781

The overall measure for each country is based on a basket of 10 indicators. The number in each row is drawn from the source for that particular indicator. The sources of data and calculations used are detailed on the Notes to Table page. 

Background

Pakistan remains wracked by insecurity. Through 2020–21, militant attacks on state security personnel and civilians have steadily risen in number, mainly in Khyber Paktunkhwa and Baluchistan provinces at the hands of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and Baluch separatists, who have also targeted Chinese infrastructure projects. The results of a recent ceasefire agreement between the government and TTP remain to be seen. Counter-insurgency operations have also resulted in abuses of civilians, and criticisms of these and other state practices have led to an intensified crackdown on dissent in the media, civil society and political opposition, who have been subjected to draconian counterterrorism and sedition laws. Hostile societal attitudes toward religious minorities remain commonplace, with Christians, Hindus, Shi’a and Ahmadis frequently facing violence and discrimination, and in some cases murder. Cross-border fighting between Pakistan and India escalated through 2020 and slowed with a ceasefire agreement in early 2021, but the situation remains volatile, creating a precarious situation for civilians on both sides of the ‘Line of Control’.