PCR Project Event | Campaigning Against Extremist Violence: A View from Pakistan’s Political Parties

The PCR Project hosted a teleconference with political party officials from Pakistan, who shared their views on Pakistan’s counterterrorism strategy and the approaches their parties are advocating. Featuring:

Ahsan Iqbal, Information Secretary/Chief Coordinator for the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N), Lahore, Pakistan Mushahid Hussain, Chairman of the Pakistan Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee and Secretary General of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML-Q), Islamabad, Pakistan Afrasiab Khattak, Provincial President of the Awami National Party (ANP), Peshawar, Pakistan Moderated by PCR Project Co-Director Rick Barton

The policymakers differed in some of their views–namely Musharraf’s role in combating terrorism–but they agreed on some key points. The democratic institutions within Pakistan need to be strengthened and reformed in order to combat extremism in the long term. There needs to be dialogue between Islamabad and the tribes in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) while elevating the area’s quality of life and reforming its political representation (or lack thereof) in Islamabad. The military needs to strengthen its counterinsurgency capabilities. The government, civil society sector, and media need to cooperatively and independently promote an ideology that separates Islam from radicalism. Similar to what our report, “A Perilous Course” addresses, US aid to Pakistan needs to seep down and reach the Pakistani people. To listen to a highlight podcast please click here!