Terrorism in Pakistan: Pre & Post COVID -19 Analysis

Abstract

Terrorism dominated global politics since September 11, 2001 till the emergence of global pandemic of COVID-19 that molded every state policy priority. The paper evaluates terrorism in Pakistan that hits the most after Afghanistan. This part of the study also examines COVID-19 as a turning point in terrorism in Pakistan that reduces intensity of terror attacks in Pakistan. The research utilizes the twin theory of non-traditional security threats and the theory of “Multiple Stream Model” of policy making to mark it an academic study. The study founds multiple factors that led to the reduction of menace but the most prominent is COVID-19 that totally reshaped global state policies including Pakistan. This research paper, therefore, through an analytical and historical approach strives to contextualize terrorism in pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 period. In prescriptive terms, the research argues that policy priorities must be aligned with the transformed situation to defeat the twin issues of terrorism and COVID-19.