Critical Appraisal of Pakistan’s Efforts in (Re) Constructing a National Narrative to Violent Extremism and Terrorism: A Case of Paigham-e-Pakistan

Abstract

The inability of hard measures to effectively counter violent extremist ideologies and the resulting terrorism has generated a shift of focus towards soft measures. The area of soft countermeasures to violent extremism and terrorism, however, is a nascent field in comparison with its kinetic counterpart. In order to create a better understanding of the soft side of counter violent extremism, especially counter-narratives, a detailed inquiry into existing literature and practices is warranted. In doing so, this paper provides a brief understanding of the concepts of narrative and counternarrative and further dwells into examining various efforts made at the international level. This is followed by a critical analysis of counternarrative efforts initiated by Pakistan, in particular, the Paigham-e-Pakistan.