Abstract
Pakistan was not unfamiliar to terrorist activities even prior to
9/11, but its decision to participate in the “Global War on Terror”
(GWOT) as a state policy exposed it to renewed and heightened
activity of terrorist outfits which caused a serious blow to its
domestic security. Pakistan's domestic instability is also linked to a
number of different causes which are “home grown” as well as
foreign sponsored. The dominance of the military in national politics
for prolonged periods and the wide network of electronic media have
also not done any great service to the country. Issues like poverty,
unemployment, health and literacy are also important contributing
factors. The real threat to the country's security stems from “within”.
Externally, Pakistan finds itself geographically placed in a volatile
environment. Peace can be achieved and maintained through
strength. Pakistan Army that has been assigned the role of dealing
with both domestic as well as external security challenges seems
comfortable with some limitations. However, the responsibility to
tackle the various domestic security threats lies with the second line
forces (SLFs) which are not fully prepared and need extensive
training to cater for all kinds of domestic crises; Army should be
utilized sparingly as a last option. In order to deal with the above
referred challenges effectively, a three tier approach comprising an
international dimension, regional cooperation and national level
measures is suggested.
Muhammad Khurshid Khan. (2009) Analyzing Domestic Terrorism As A Threat To Pakistan’s Security And The Policy Response, IPRI Journal, Volume-09, Issue-2.
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