Speakers at a roundtable in Islamabad stressed that Pakistan must translate policy documents into action to confront terrorism effectively, underlining the need for a sustained counterterrorism response. The event, held on the 11th anniversary of the Army Public School attack, framed the National Action Plan as a political consensus that now requires vigorous implementation nationwide.
Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, president of the Institute of Regional Studies, described the 2014 APS tragedy as a turning point that shaped the National Action Plan. He urged a determined effort to counter extremist propaganda through a sustained counter-narrative that reaches communities most affected by violence.
Ihsan Ghani Khan, former national coordinator of NACTA, pointed to gaps between strong policy documents and weak execution. He argued that tactical operations must be complemented by strategic policymaking and a strengthened criminal justice system, noting that NAP’s final objectives depend on law enforcement and judicial reform.
Ambassador Asif Ali Durrani, former special representative for Afghanistan, called for a unified national narrative and better interagency coordination, while emphasising that the police must be reinforced as first responders to terror incidents. Improved coordination between departments, he said, is essential for a coherent counterterrorism response.
Iftikhar Firdous, founder and editor of The Khorasan Diary, warned that attacks on school buildings target the symbol of education and must be treated with the same seriousness as attacks on children. He also urged better governance in the merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to stem local insurgency and radicalisation.
Rehman Azhar, executive director of the Centre for Law and Security, highlighted the unique characteristics of the Pak-Afghan border and the need to factor those into border security planning. He reiterated calls for implementing NAP, developing an effective counter-narrative in the provinces most affected by militancy, and addressing the growing nexus between crime and terror.
Aarish U. Khan, lead of the Afghanistan programme at IRS, said the return of Taliban rule in Kabul requires a fresh assessment of the drivers of cross-border militancy. He suggested that evolving regional dynamics make a holistic, well-implemented counterterrorism response more urgent for Pakistan’s border areas.
The consensus at the roundtable was clear: Pakistan’s counterterrorism response must move beyond rhetoric to coordinated policy execution, judicial and police reform, targeted governance improvements in vulnerable districts, and a nationwide effort to counter extremist narratives.
