Islamabad:National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) Jawad Ahmad Dogar emphasised that an effective counter-narrative policy must be grounded in evidence.
Dogar was speaking at launching of a report “Cognitive warfare and insurgent legitimacy: TTP’s strategic communication post-Taliban takeover and Pakistan’s counter-narrative imperative” at Institute of Regional Studies (IRS). The study is a joint effort of Centre for Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism Studies (CCTVES) and IRS.
He noted that sustainable progress requires addressing the root causes of terrorism and strengthening governance and state institutions. He further underscored the need to bridge the gap between state and society arguing that only then can a credible national narrative take root and effectively counter violent extremism.
He encouraged closer collaboration between researchers, academics and policymakers to translate research into effective implementation. anchorperson Arifa Noor contrasted TTP’s simple, relatable messaging with the state’s often technical, bureaucratic language. She argued that an effective national narrative must enjoy public legitimacy and emerge through a genuine partnership between the state and society. Maj Gen (r) Tariq Rashid Khan observed that military power alone was never sufficient to defeat an ideology. In conflicts where legitimacy is contested and behaviour is the principal target, narratives become the centre of gravity.
IRS President Jauhar Saleem emphasised the need for a proactive, institutionally coordinated counter-narrative rooted in the live realities of local communities stressing that the war of ideas must be accorded the same priority as the fight on the ground.
