Countering Violent Extremism In Pakistan

Abstract

The threat of violent extremism is the most powerful of the various by-products of terror affecting the State and society of Pakistan. The tolerant cultural and religious ethos of the country has been damaged. The killing in Peshawar on 16 December last year of 132 school children is a resounding reminder that extremism poses a vital threat against Pakistan (Basit, 2015). Despite the terrorist operations, radicalisation and extremism remain a serious concern in Pakistan.The Pakistani Government has now implemented a number of counter-violent extremism programmes (CVE). But the implementation of the effective CVE programme remains a serious challenge (Bashar, 2017). CVE is designed to reduce the size and depletion of the active membership of terrorist groups and a support base between local communities (Hargon, 2010).