Pakistan killed 2,410 terrorists in 5,143 operations this year, NA told
- Interior Ministry reports 2,410 terrorists killed and 3,518 suspects arrested between January 1 and September 29.
- More than 326,000 Pakistani identity cards held by Afghan nationals were cancelled over five years.
- Ministry highlights gaps in online threat monitoring and a shortfall in funding for NACTA.
Pakistan conducted 5,143 intelligence-based counter-terrorism operations between January 1 and September 29, 2026, killing 2,410 terrorists, according to a written response submitted by the Ministry of Interior to the National Assembly.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi informed lawmakers that another 806 terrorists were injured and 3,518 suspects arrested during the operations. He said counter-terrorism activities were continuing under the National Action Plan, which provides the framework for tackling terrorism and security threats.
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The ministry’s response also highlighted weaknesses in monitoring online threats, saying there was no organised or integrated system at either the federal or provincial level to address them.
Institutions and open-source intelligence cells faced a shortage of trained analysts, while security and intelligence agencies lacked the capacity to maintain round-the-clock surveillance, the response stated.
Lawmakers were also informed of funding constraints affecting the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA). The authority had sought more than Rs2.98 billion for the 2026-27 financial year, but only Rs1.33 billion had been released for the current year.
The ministry described NACTA as a statutory body tasked with coordinating counter-terrorism efforts, clarifying that it had no authority to make arrests or perform law enforcement functions. It also stated that the authority would now be designated as the National Counter-Terrorism Division.
Separately, the ministry reported that 326,341 Pakistani identity cards held by Afghan nationals had been cancelled over the past five years because their legal status was questionable.
The largest number of cancellations was recorded in 2026, when 255,139 cards were cancelled, followed by 62,414 in 2025.
The remaining figures included 8,609 cancellations in 2024, 117 in 2023 and 62 in 2022.
