From Counterterrorism to Countering Violent Extremism: Pakistan’s Rehabilitation and Deradicalization Initiatives

Abstract

The post-9/11 global security environment led the United States to launch the War on Terror, adopting a force-centric strategy against terrorism. Despite these efforts, militant violence continued to rise worldwide between 2002 and 2004, prompting the United Nations Security Council to shift focus from counterterrorism to countering violent extremism CVE.[ Muhammad Naeem Dar, Sabaoon-II: A Study on Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Former Militants in Pakistan (Islamabad: Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, 2023),p.30.] Ironically, the same concept of jihad had earlier been encouraged in Pakistan during the Soviet–Afghan War of 1979. Recognizing the limits of kinetic measures alone, the U.S. adopted a non-kinetic CVE strategy in 2005.[ Arun Kundnani and Ben Hayes, The Globalization of Countering Violent Extremism Policies: Undermining Human Rights, Instrumentalising Civil Society, (Amsterdam: Transnational Institute, 2018), p.4.] This article examines Pakistan’s policies and initiatives aimed at transitioning from counterterrorism to countering violent extremism, with a particular focus on rehabilitation, deradicalization, and reintegration programs. It also evaluates the outcomes and achievements of these initiatives.