The speakers at a seminar on Thursday underscored the importance of comprehensive approaches and international partnerships to achieve long-term resilience and stability under a whole-of-nation approach against violent extremism.
They were speaking at the seminar organized by the Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS) in Islamabad.
Additional Inspector General (Operations) KP Police’s presentation focused on Pakistan’s evolving efforts in countering extremism, highlighting both successes and challenges.
He emphasized the complexity of measuring success in countering extremism, as it could not be instantly quantified due to its nuanced nature. He highlighted the importance of promoting Pakistan’s best practices in countering violent extremism and the need for greater investment in education.
The speaker also stressed the significance of assessing factors such as ethnic and sectarian fault lines, service delivery impact, and political marginalization in addressing extremism. He also addressed the disparity in technology usage between the state and violent non-state actors, stressing the need for effective policy implementation, monitoring, and communication strategies.
AzeemaCheema discussed the crucial role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in countering violent extremism. She emphasised the need to dispel the narrative of ‘Pakistan exceptionalism’ and urged a comprehensive approach to policy implementation.
Cheema highlighted the challenges faced by CSOs due to regulatory frameworks and pointed to the need for a comprehensive policy framework to address hate speech and disinformation online.
Dr FarhanZahid underscored the importance of partnerships with international entities engaged in counter-violent extremism (CVE) initiatives, such as the United Nations and the Global Counter terrorism Forum.
