Violent extremism has wreaked a terrible toll on Pakistani society, and threatens further damage in the coming years. In 2010-2015, more than 10,000 people died from violent extremism, and Pakistan is consistently ranked among the top five countries in the Global Terrorism Index.
In such circumstances, there can be few higher priorities for Pakistani policymakers and civil society, and members of the international community who wish to support them, than devising effective programmes and policies to counter violent extremism.
The field of ‘countering violent extremism’ (CVE) is a relatively young and fast-evolving one. Its origins in the security and defence arena, combined with a dominance by Western-based institutions and researchers, has resulted in little focus on locally-led peacebuilding perspectives and strategies. This report aims to redress that balance by highlighting local analysis and solutions following a consultation held in September 2016 with Pakistani peacebuilding practitioners and academics.
