KARACHI: Pakistan saw a 175 percent increase in civilian casualties from militant attacks in February compared to January, an Islamabad-based think tank said on Sunday, with the country’s southwestern Balochistan province suffering the most number of attacks last month. 

According to a report by Islamabad-based think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), the country witnessed 79 militant attacks in February. This resulted in the deaths of 55 civilians and 47 security personnel, while 81 security forces personnel and 45 civilians sustained injuries. 

The report also said that security forces intensified their counter-militancy operations last month, eliminating 156 militants, injuring 20, and arresting 66.

“February 2025 marked the first month since August 2024 in which civilian fatalities surpassed those of security forces,” the report said. “Civilian deaths rose by 175 percent compared to January 2025, when 20 civilians were killed, while security forces’ casualties declined by 18 percent, down from 57 in January.”

The report said militant fatalities also dropped by 25 percent in February, with 208 killed in January compared to 156 in February. It said Balochistan remained the most volatile province, recording 32 militant attacks that claimed 56 lives, including 35 civilians, 10 security personnel and 11 militants. The attacks also left 44 people injured, including 32 security forces personnel and 12 civilians.

“In erstwhile FATA [Federally Administered Tribal Areas], 21 militant attacks were reported, leading to the deaths of 22 security personnel and eight civilians,” the think tank said. 

It added that 26 security forces personnel and 11 civilians were injured while security forces killed at least 98 militants, injured 15, and arrested 50 suspected militants in FATA. 

Meanwhile, mainland Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded 23 militant attacks, resulting in 14 security forces personnel and 12 civilian deaths in February. Twenty-two civilians and an equal number of security personnel were injured during the month while security forces killed 47 militants in KP during February, the report added. 

Sindh witnessed three minor militant attacks, resulting in the death of one security official and injury to another.

“No militant attack was reported in Punjab, but security forces arrested 16 suspected militants from various locations,” the report said. “No incidents of militant violence were reported from Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, or Islamabad.” 

Pakistan has suffered a rise in militant attacks in its western provinces bordering Afghanistan, KP and Balochistan, since a fragile truce with the Pakistani Taliban and the state fell apart. 

In its bid to impose its strict brand of Islam across the country, the TTP has carried out suicide attacks against Pakistani security agencies and killed civilians as well. 

In the southwestern Balochistan province, separatist ethnic Baloch militants have waged an insurgency for decades against the state whom it accuses of exploiting the mineral-and-gas rich province while depriving its locals of a share in the resources. Pakistan’s state rejects these allegations. 

DUBAI: Australia and South Africa have been forced to travel to Dubai from Pakistan, the International Cricket Council confirmed Sunday, due to a tangled schedule at the Champions Trophy.
India and New Zealand play the final group match on Sunday in Dubai and the result of the game will decide the semifinal line-up.
Australia are in Dubai and will train in the afternoon, when South Africa are expected to fly in from Karachi where they hammered England to get top spot in Group B.
The winners of the India-New Zealand clash will play Australia, who finished second to South Africa in their group.
But irrespective of the placing and opponent, India will play the first semifinal in Dubai on March 4 after they refused to travel to hosts Pakistan for political reasons.
That will leave New Zealand and either Australia or South Africa, hours after landing in Dubai, to head back to Pakistan for the second semifinal scheduled on March 5 in Lahore.
Pundits and ex-cricketers had called out the one-venue “farce” at the 50-over tournament after India were allowed to play all their matches at the Dubai International Stadium.
The rest of the seven teams in the eight-nation competition had to shuttle between three Pakistan venues — Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore — and the United Arab Emirates.
New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips said his team were not thinking about India staying at one venue for the course of the tournament.
“No, for us there’s no focus on anything like that,” he said on Saturday.
“We have a ‘no-excuses’ mindset.”
The final on March 9 will be in Dubai if India go the distance.
Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium will be the venue if India miss out.