National Narrative to Counter Terrorism in Pakistan: A Critique

Abstract

Militancy emerged as a threat that challenged the state and society in Pakistan. As a consequence, the state was obliged to develop a comprehensive response framework to deal with this challenge. This response framework informs the national narrative of the state vis-à-vis the challenge of militancy. In this contextual framework, this article maps the contours of militancy and the essential features of national narrative developed against it. It further examines the adequacy of the state response vis-à-vis the challenge and attempts to identify the policy gaps that need to be addressed to enhance the impact value of the state interventions in the area of counter-militancy.