Security situation in Pakistan during 2007 remained highly unsatisfactory amid terrorist attacks throughout the year. Pakistan Peoples Party Chairperson, Benazir Bhutto's tragic assassination on December 27, 2007, and continued attacks on and kidnapping of Army personnel round the year puts a big question mark on the efficiency and effectiveness of the security forces against terrorism and to control law and order situation in the country.

Accumulatively 1442 terrorist attacks, incidents of political violence and border clashes took place in 2007. Among 1442, there were 1306 terrorist attacks done by local Taliban, Pakistani Jihadist and sectarian groups and Baloch nationalist insurgents. While 113 incidents of political violence were also reported divided into political, sectarian and inter tribal clashes’ categories distributed as 80 sectarian, 12 political and 21 inter-tribal clashes. On the borders with Afghanistan and Iran the security situation remained intense and 23 major clashes were reported during 2007. In response to 1306 terrorist attacks, the security forces conducted 61 counter-terrorist attacks in Federal Administrative Tribal Areas, Swat and its adjoining areas and in Balochistan. The causalities remained high compared with last two years, as 3448 persons got killed and 5353 injured in 2007. These casualty figures are 128% and 491.7% higher as compared with 2006 and 2005 respectively.

In 2006, PIPS had recorded total 657 terrorist attacks, which left 907 persons dead and 1543 injured, while in 2005 total attacks were 254 in which 216 persons were killed and 571 were injured. The sharp increase in the terrorist attacks shows the security situation is rapidly deteriorating in the country. The security forces which are responsible for maintaining law and order and preventing terrorist attacks are facing direct threat from the terrorists and looking helpless. This is manifested in the fact during 2007, 232 army men, 163 paramilitary troops and 71 policemen were killed in terrorist attacks and they also faced 41 suicide attacks.

Balochistan, NWFP and Tribal Areas appeared as the most troubled spots for the government and security agencies where Baloch nationalist insurgents, Taliban, al-Qaeda operatives and sectarian militants kept striking the security forces.

However, the indication of success against terrorists and miscreants remained almost the same as compared with 2006. During 2007 security forces killed 1008 terrorists and miscreants, and arrested 1636 suspected terrorists including 427 Taliban, 53 al-Qaeda operatives, 740 Baloch nationalist insurgents, 315 banned Jihadist organizations' militants and 27 Lashkar-e-Jhangvi terrorists, who are operating as al-Qaeda force in Pakistan.

Comparatively, in 2006 security agencies had arrested 1552 suspected terrorists including 1094 Taliban and Afghan, 47 al-Qaeda operatives,198 other militants and 213 Baloch nationalist insurgents.

Pakistan faced 60 suicide attacks (mostly targeted at security forces) during 2007 that killed at least 770 besides injuring another 1574 persons. The maximum number of suicide attacks was reported in North Western Frontier Province (NWFP) where 33 such attacks killed 374 persons and injured 640 others. Tribal Areas of Pakistan and Punjab (including Islamabad) faced 11 suicide attacks each whereas 4 suicide attacks hit Balochistan and one Karachi.

As many as 12 incidents of political clashes during 2007 took 64 lives besides injuring 222 others. Maximum number, 9, of such clashes was reported from Karachi whereas one incident each was reported from Rawalpindi, Hyderabad and Naseerabad (Balochistan). The most violent political clashes ignited on May 12 in Karachi which left 45 persons dead and 195 injured.

As no security operation is going on in Tribal Areas there is risk of an increased infiltration of militants into Afghanistan besides increasing country's own security risk.

The threat of enhanced 'targeted' suicide attacks on political and security forces 'remains' intact in the future as no investigations in any suicide attack case have ever been completed.

The political unrest if prevails may consolidate the militant outfits in FATA and NWFP, and encourage the nationalist insurgents in Balochistan and Sindh.