On Thursday, 31^st July, 2025, Mr. Azim Arshad conducted an engaging and interactive session on “Terrorism, Violent Extremism and State Response” for the participants of the 38th Senior Management Course (SMC) at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), Lahore.

Mr. Arshad said that Pakistan is the second most affected country by terrorism, and the attacks have grown manyfold since 2021 due to the TTP resurgence. He said that priority should be given to prevention and peacebuilding as opposed to kinetic actions. He described the interplay between different drivers of violent extremism and terrorism. He said that religion is not the main driver, while education serves as a powerful prevention tool against extremism. He explained that poverty does not have a direct connection to extremism, but relative deprivation and inequality contribute to extremism and terrorism. Similarly, unemployment plays no direct role, however, social environment and government actions are critical in propagating extremism.

Mr. Arshad spoke about significant terrorist groups operating in Pakistan, and discussed the counter-terrorism policy of Pakistan and other legal and regulatory frameworks. He highlighted that Pakistan does not have an in-depth study of the root causes of violent extremism that is necessary to formulate effective policies. He explained that Pakistani counter-terrorism efforts are one-dimensional and often rely on kinetic interventions. He pointed out that the counter-terrorism mechanisms are centralized internationally, in Pakistan though, it is decentralized, and many law enforcement agencies work without effective coordination.

To improve the situation, Mr. Arshad suggested the De-radicalization, Reintegration, and Rehabilitation (DRR) model, and emphasized the importance of employing long-term, comprehensive, and integrated whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.