What Next After Charsadda?

The News International (Pakistan)

08 February 2016

Abdul Basit

The discussions in Pakistan after the Bacha Khan University attack have focused on gaps in the country’s counterterrorism framework, weak border management at the Durand Line and the non-implementation of recommended security protocols in education institutions.

Undoubtedly, we must overcome the weaknesses in our internal security framework. However, the larger question is: will the aforementioned measures help Pakistan overcome the threat of home-grown, but externally operated, planned and executed terrorism? The answer is no.

The maximum results that a tactical level policy framework can attain have more or less been achieved by Pakistan’s counterterrorism initiatives. In the aftermath of the APS attack, state-centric counterterrorism policies have pushed militants to the Afghan border areas where they have re-established their sanctuaries and infrastructure.

… The writer is an associate research fellow at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore.

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