Internal Security & Conflict

The rule of law: concept and practices in Pakistan

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By Muhammad Amir Rana Although Pakistan has a comprehensive constitutional framework and accompanying legal procedures, the rule of law, in practice, is still confined to conventional concepts of internal security and law enforcement. The common perception amongst policymakers and practitioners defines rule of law as being about the control and elimination of crimes, and conventional … Read more

Attack on Chinese engineers in Balochistan

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On August 11, 2018, a suicide bomber attacked a bus carrying Chinese engineers in Balochistan. It later emerged that the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) was behind the attack. The attack has raised questions about security to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) especially in Balochistan. Below are comments by some experts on the incident: BLA suicide attack … Read more

General election 2018: Trends of terrorist and political violence

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Although attacks on political leaders and workers have become a regular feature of terrorist violence in Pakistan, frequency of such attacks usually increases before and during election times. Similarly, supporters and workers of different parties are also seen engaged in incidents of political violence in terms of armed clashes as well as attacks during election … Read more

Pakistan-based militant groups & prospects of their integration: a structural analysis

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Abstract Different militant streams operating in Pakistan are characterized respectively by conventional jihadist groups – established to safeguard the state’s strategic interests in the region; independent militant groups – formed by the militants who grew in the folds of or parallel to conventional groups but gradually formed their separate groups such as tribal Taliban militant … Read more

Killings in Karachi: down, but not out

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With the Rangers-led targeted operation aimed at restoring peace to Karachi entering its fourth year, there was marked improvement in the overall law and order situation in the city in the year 2016. However, even as fatalities from political violence and gang wars sharply declined in Karachi amid the ongoing operation, the city continued to … Read more

Bloodshed in Balochistan

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Contrary to the Balochistan government’s claims of restoration of peace and rooting out terrorist activities in the province, acts of terrorism continued to be reported throughout 2016. Although, in the wake of the National Action Plan (NAP), violence by separatist insurgents receded to some extent, attacks by banned sectarian and other militant extremist groups rose. … Read more

PIPS hosts “Inclusive and Secure Pakistan” seminar, calls upon parliamentarians to address the multi-dimensional issue of extremism

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On 25 May 2017, PIPS hosted “Inclusive and Secure Pakistan” seminar, releasing a national policy report on how to counter violent extremism in Pakistan, and discussing debate on the content of that document. Participants of the seminar urged upon the parliamentarians to help confront the issue by instilling a fresh narrative, overseeing policies impacting internal … Read more

Holistic internal security policy need of the hour

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CVE Consultation-10 A consolidated internal security policy be devised, which articulates the roadmap towards addressing those challenges. Only then can violent extremism of all shades be extirpated from the society. These thoughts came in the working group session on “Internal security and challenges”, the tenth in a series of sessions aimed at countering violent extremism, … Read more