Terrorism in Pakistan

After a relative lull since the launching of Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan, terror incidents are seemingly once again on the rise in Pakistan. This situation is thought provoking and suggests that terrorism in the country cannot be described as a momentary phenomenon. Therefore, there is a critical need for analysing the phenomenon of terrorism in Pakistan so as to help policymakers and the public understand what have been the drivers of this menace. For policymakers, comprehending the dynamics of terrorism in Pakistan is critically significant.



For common Pakistanis, knowing the factors of terrorism is also equally important so that they can pressure the policymakers to author the most desirable policy and to take measures which could secure the lives and property of the citizens. Once a sizable number of Pakistani citizens get to know the nature and dynamics of terrorism in their country, they would take steps on the individual level to counter extremism and terrorism. The foregoing discussion establishes the need for understanding the sources and forces behind terrorism in Pakistan. Now the problem is how to analyse the phenomenon, which in Pakistan’s case is profoundly complex. Nevertheless, it is the mandate of the experts to study complex socio-political phenomenon in its true context. Keeping in view the importance of the phenomenon of terrorism and the unimaginable losses it has inflicted on citizens, state and society, we have no choice but to analyse the dynamics of the phenomenon to secure our present and future generations.

Experts on terrorism across the world have analysed the phenomenon on three levels: macrosociological, psycho-social and the individual psychological plank. Because terrorism is a societal phenomenon, therefore, the macrosociological approach is extremely important to study its causes. At the same time, it is noteworthy that terrorism has much to do with the social psychology of a community or society where it is taking place. Therefore, one cannot come to valid conclusion(s) regarding its causes without studying it from the social psychological perspective. As the perpetrators of terrorism, more often than not, are individuals, whether actual attackers or members of a terrorist group, it becomes vital to study the psychological make-up of these individuals, which motivates them to engage in such loathsome behaviour. It may be mentioned that in most cases, the psychological make-up of an individual, whether a terrorist or otherwise, is formed by its socioeconomic and socio-political conditions or associations.

The phenomenon of terrorism in Pakistan, which arguably is one of the most important social and political problems, can also be analysed at all these three levels. Using these three approaches, one has come to the following conclusions. The most important aspect of the phenomenon of terrorism in Pakistan is that it is the culmination of a protracted process of radicalisation in the name of religion. Thus terrorism in Pakistan cannot be separated from the simultaneous phenomenon of extremism, rather, both are intertwined and have a cause and effect relationship. However, extremism in the name of religion in Pakistan is itself the result of many factors. Extremism and terrorism in Pakistan are also the outcomes of the militarisation of the state and society.

In a nutshell, terrorism in Pakistan has multifarious sources ranging from ideological causes, economic causes, cultural causes, including deep-rooted tribal social structures, socio-psychological causes, specifically identity crisis among many Pakistanis and ethnic groups, weakness and manipulation of the education system and institutions and above all, Pakistan’s societal system’s incapacity to adapt to the zeitgeist.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6^th,  2014.

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