SINCE 2001, Pakistan has been afflicted by terrorism. As a consequence of the so-called American War on Terror, over 70,000 Pakistanis have lost their lives and the country has faced an economic toll exceeding $130 billion. However, it was on December 16, 2014, following the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar by terrorists that the military and political leadership, alongside the nation, united to eradicate the scourge of terrorism. This led to the formulation of a 20-point National Action Plan. With the 2021 US withdrawal and the Taliban’s rise, Pakistan’s security landscape shifted, prompting a revised 14-point National Action Plan to combat terrorism. The first point focuses on eradicating militancy. In June 2024, the National Apex Committee approved Operation Determination for Stability, with a budget of 60 billion rupees. By July 2024, this operation led to a 62% reduction in terrorist attacks. However, instability persisted from August to October, highlighting the ongoing need for continuous efforts to prevent terrorism’s resurgence.
The second point of the National Action Plan pertains to actions against the spread of terrorism via media and cyber networks, which includes close cooperation with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). The PTA monitors websites and social media platforms for content that promotes terrorism, violence and hate speech. By the end of 2023, nearly 1.3 million such URLs had been blocked. The third point of the National Action Plan focuses on tackling religious and sectarian terrorism. By October 2024, 18 sectarian violence incidents were reported in Pakistan, up from 12 in 2023. While the plan advocates for eradicating sectarian militant groups, no bans were imposed between 2021 and 2023. In 2024, three groups—the Zainabiyoun Brigade, Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group and Majid Brigade—were added to the proscribed list. The fourth point addresses terrorism financing and restrictions on banned organizations. A National Task Force helped remove Pakistan from the Financial Action Task Force’s gray list in October 2022. As a result, the number of individuals on the Counter-Terrorism Fourth Schedule rose from 2,646 in 2021 to 8,374 by 2024. In 2024, the State Bank of Pakistan blocked 5,089 suspicious accounts, freezing approximately 157 million rupees.
The fifth point of the National Action Plan addresses the prevention of rising trends in drug trafficking, arms trafficking, and human smuggling. According to the Anti-Narcotics Ministry, 530 individuals were convicted for drug trafficking in 2021, and this number rose to 627 in 2023. Similarly, 992 cases of smuggling were investigated in 2021, while the number surged to 1,936 cases in 2023. The sixth point emphasizes the completion of counter-terrorism cases in the courts. The National Action Plan facilitated the establishment of special trial courts to expedite the processing of terrorism-related cases; however, a decrease was observed in the overall number of death sentences and executions. Between 2019 and 2022, 657 individuals were sentenced to death. By November 2024, there were 2,273 counter-terrorism cases pending in Pakistan.
The seventh point focuses on strengthening and enhancing the capacities of counter-terrorism departments. The National Action Plan provided assistance to relevant departments for acquiring modern technology and equipment for intelligence gathering and monitoring. Each province’s Counter-Terrorism Department operates under the supervision of the respective provincial police chief. The increase in funding has significantly improved the operational capabilities of this department. The eighth point pertains to the formulation, institution-building, and implementation of a Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) policy. The CVE policy primarily aims to provide the public with pertinent information against extremist ideologies and restore public trust in the state. The ninth point addresses the regulation and registration of madaris. Under the banner of the Ittehad Tanzeem al-Madaris Pakistan, nearly 30,000 madaris were registered by 2023. The National Action Plan subsequently proposed that madaris be registered under the Education Department.
The tenth point concerns the reconciliation process in Balochistan. Under this provision of the National Action Plan, the Balochistan government announced a “Peaceful Balochistan National Reconciliation Policy.” Since then, over 3,500 militants have surrendered and reintegrated into the mainstream of the country. To effectively address Baloch concerns and curb violence, a development package of 600 billion rupees was announced for Balochistan in 2021. The eleventh point of the National Action Plan addresses the National Finance Commission (NFC), land reforms, and local government elections in the merged areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Under this provision of the National Action Plan, substantial investments have been made in ensuring equitable resource distribution, enhancing the capacity of law enforcement agencies, and establishing new police stations in these areas.
The twelfth point highlights the need for reforms in Pakistan’s criminal justice system due to the growing number of pending cases and an increasing inmate population in Pakistan’s prisons, with insufficient staff for supervision. The thirteenth point focuses on strengthening the legal framework for national security and intelligence operations. The Official Secrets Act of 1923, while addressing espionage-related crimes, requires clearer definitions and penalties to enhance national security. These issues demand urgent reforms to ensure the effectiveness of both the justice system and national security measures. The fourteenth point pertains to the repatriation of Afghan refugees, which has prompted efforts to ensure the registration and documentation of Afghan refugees. Undoubtedly, the National Action Plan serves as a roadmap in the fight against terrorism. The aim of articulating the points of this revised action plan is to raise public awareness, encouraging citizens to actively participate in its implementation in collaboration with government and military leadership, united by a sense of national purpose and collective commitment.
—The writer is Chairman, Tehrik Jawanan Pakistan.
(abdullahhamidgul1@gmail.com)
