ISLAMABAD: An analysis of the threat of terrorist attacks in major cities by a leading US risk assessment firm puts Islamabad among world capitals that are at ‘extreme risk’ of terrorism.

The study analyzed 1,300 of the world’s cities and ranked them on the intensity and frequency of attacks in the past six years.

According to its findings, 64 cities around the world are at “extreme risk” of an attack

The research has been compiled by global risk analytics company Verisk Maplecroft, which advises banks and insurers on the threat of a terror attack in almost any urban setting around the world.

It has logged every reported terror incident around the world in the 12 months up to March 2015, and combined that with a longer-term record of attacks over the previous five years.

While the Iraqi capital Baghdad tops the list as the most dangerous capital on earth, a total of seven Pakistani cities feature on the list of most dangerous cities. These include Peshawar (7), Quetta (9), Hassu Khel (10), Karachi (16), Rawalpindi (27), Lahore (29), Sukkur (24) and Islamabad (44).

Other capital cities rated ‘extreme risk’ include Kabul, Afghanistan (13th most at risk), Mogadishu, Somalia (14th), Sana’a, Yemen (19th) and Tripoli, Libya (48th).

Verisk Maplecroft said it had released the list to help governments and organizations understand and protect against the risks in their countries and the countries in which they operate.

“An estimated 80% of global GDP is generated from cities. With investment limited in conflict and post-conflict locations, it is the risk posed by terrorism in the primary cities of strategic economies, such as Egypt, Israel, Kenya, Nigeria and Pakistan that has the potential to threaten business and supply chain continuity,” the risk assessment firm said in a statement issued with the study.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2015

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