Eleventh International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

The government of Pakistan gave a National Action Plan (NAP) in 2014 to curb the scourge of political, social, and economic offenses, as the country suffered a protracted trend of extremism. However, the Plan has yet to yield positive results. Extremists have shown resilience over the years, growing roots in tribal districts in special and rest of Pakistan in general. Given the complexity of the issue and limitations of the state to counter violent extremism, communities need to be strengthened. A quantifiable and time-bound agenda is needed to develop resilient communities to end extremism in all its forms once and for all. However, no such effort is included in the NAP. Killing extremists via military means is just one way of dealing with the issue. Social cohesion is the backbone of a resilient community, which is missing in peripheral areas of Pakistan. A strong and robust community could bring an end to recruitment of extremist organizations. Input based on people of tribal areas who migrated from their homes to settled areas might contribute to devising such strategy by developing their respective communities. By incorporating community resilience as a core component in the NAP, Pakistan’s policy makers may device a robust national plan to counter violent extremism.