PAKISTAN

APPLICATIONS OF AI IN COUNTERING TERRORISM IN PAKISTAN: A WAY FORWARD

2026-08-05T03:31:10-05:00

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a transformative technology to serve human interests. It can thus be leveraged to address complex issues like terrorism. This paper aims to determine how we can use AI to mitigate the rising threat of terrorism in the conflict zones of Pakistan, with a particular focus on the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The objectives of this research are to develop a framework for conflict zones in Pakistan to implement AI using the provided tools and strategies, which will help regulate efforts to combat terrorism and manage militancy. To balance AI’s innovation and strategy, this paper examines the theoretical underpinnings of the Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) framework. It is being employed to determine the applications of AI in countering terrorism. In addition, the theoretical framework employs both the Intelligence Cycle and the Diamond Model of CTI to map the enemy's tactics and infrastructure, proactively prevent threats, and, in the event of an attack, manage them. Primary and secondary sources have been used in this research to provide a broader understanding of the topic. The methodology used a mixed-methods approach. Various case studies have been examined in this research to demonstrate and enhance security, stability, and counterterrorism in Pakistan. Findings of this study revolve around the following lines: Firstly, AI can be used for predictive analysis or as large language models in surveillance. Secondly, AI has a huge role in monitoring social media content and tracking the financial activities of terrorist organizations. Furthermore, the study provides recommendations for applying AI tools in different domains of cybersecurity for Pakistan in countering increasing levels of terrorism and reducing the operational capacity of outlawed militant organizations.

FAITH, NATION, AND DISSENT: THE KHILAFAT MOVEMENT AND THE POLITICAL DIVIDE IN BRITISH INDIA

2026-08-05T03:43:32-05:00

The dissolution of the Ottoman Caliphate following World War I marked a pivotal moment for the global Muslim community, and particularly for Indian uslims rappling with the loss of a symbol that embodied both religious and political unity. In British India, the Khilafat Movement emerged as a mass mobilization effort to protest the dismemberment of the Caliphate and to assert Muslim solidarity in the colonial political arena. While often idealized as an anti-colonial struggle, the movement's consequences were far more complex and far-reaching. It accelerated the involvement of religious leadership in politics, redefined communal identities, and exacerbated sectarian divisions, despite temporarily uniting Hindus and Muslims under Gandhi’s non-cooperation campaign. Yet, the Khilafat Movement also revealed ideological fault lines within the Indian nationalist struggle. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, an advocate of constitutionalism and secular political practice, of elite-led, reformist Muslim politics. This article critically explores the dynamics of the Khilafat Movement, its impact on Indian Muslim political identity, the divergence of leadership strategies, and its long-term influence on the evolution of Muslim separatism and the eventual demand for Pakistan. resisted the merger of religion and mass politics that characterized the Khilafat campaign. His marginalization during this period foreshadowed his eventual departure from the Indian National Congress and reinforced his belief in an independent political path for Indian Muslims. Meanwhile, figures like Aga Khan III and Syed Amir Ali supported the Turkish cause through diplomatic and journalistic means, offering a contrasting model of elite-led, reformist Muslim politics. This article critically explores the dynamics of the Khilafat Movement, its impact on Indian Muslim political identity, the divergence of leadership strategies, and its long-term influence on the evolution of Muslim separatism and the eventual demand for Pakistan.

PAKISTAN DID TOP THE GLOBAL TERRORISM INDEX (GTI) 2026, BUT THE HEADLINE IS NARROWER THAN IT LOOKS

2026-08-05T04:59:41-05:00

This study aims to explore that the first-place ranking of Pakistan in the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2026 should be treated as a serious warning, but not as a final verdict that Pakistan is unquestionably the country, most affected by terrorism in the world. The ranking is methodologically defensible. The Index, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, basically ranks 163 countries through a composite score based on incidents, fatalities, injuries, and hostages over a five-year weighted period, with fatalities carrying the most significant weight. Pakistan recorded 1,045 terrorism incidents and 1,139 terrorism deaths in 2025, the highest death toll since 2013, and led the GTI for the first time. Yet the same report shows that terrorism remains highly concentrated in a small number of countries, that sub-Saharan Africa remains the global epicenter, and more importantly, that the Sahel accounted for more than half of terrorism deaths in 2025. The canvas has also shifted since the publication of the said Index. Subsequent attacks in Islamabad, Bajaur, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, and again in Bannu by June 2026 confirm that Pakistan’s position in the Index was not a passing statistical spike. They also show that the threat is not limited to the TTP-BLA frame: Islamic State-linked sectarian violence has again become analytically visible. Pakistan’s crisis is therefore better understood as a layered threat environment shaped by the TTP, the insurgency in Balochistan, Islamic State-linked sectarian terrorism, Afghanistan-border dynamics, and uneven implementation of Pakistan’s own counterterrorism architecture. The central argument of this article is that “Pakistan tops the GTI” is a valid methodological statement, but it is not a claim about comparative global suffering, territorial insurgency, state violence, or the wider human burden of conflict.

PREVENTATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH YOUTH: UNIVERSITIES AS HUBS FOR COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM THROUGH SOCIO-RELIGIO-ACADEMIC MENTORING AND COMMUNITY-LED MODELS: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES TO COUNTER RADICALISATION

2026-08-05T05:07:10-05:00

This article explores the importance of early and proactive interaction with youth in countering violent extremism (CVE) and highlights the strategic value of universities as places of early intervention and prevention. The study examines the socio-religious academic mentoring (SRAM) approach and community-led models to prevent radicalisation in educational institutions. The study has been conducted on 500 youth in eight universities of Pakistan, and it has shown that despite their high awareness about the causes of extremism, there is a lack of conceptual understanding of CVE approaches. The study has shown that mentoring education models can yield significantly better results than the conventional lecture-based model. Prevention interventions are most effective for younger age groups, and decrease among young adults, highlighting the need to engage young people early in education. The research suggests that Pakistan's universities must introduce compulsory CVE modules and train faculty members on mentoring skills, build collaborative ties with community groups, and provide the necessary learning atmosphere for mitigating vulnerabilities faced by young people, such as identity crisis, exposure to online content, and social isolation.

STRATEGIC MISSTEPS AND THE PRISONER'S DILEMMA: ANALYSING THE UNITED STATES' PROLONGED ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN

2026-08-05T05:10:41-05:00

This study examines the strategic failure of the United States’ intervention in Afghanistan (2001–2021) through the analytical lens of game theory, specifically the Prisoner’s Dilemma. The research asks: why did cooperation between the United States, its allies, regional actors, and Afghan stakeholders repeatedly fail despite shared interests in stabilizing Afghanistan? Methodologically, the article employs a qualitative case study combined with a conceptual application of game theory, using historical analysis and secondary sources to interpret strategic interactions among key actors, including the United States, NATO allies, the Afghan government, the Taliban, and regional powers such as Pakistan. The Prisoner’s Dilemma framework is operationalized by identifying actors, strategies, and strategic payoffs that shaped decision-making during different phases of the conflict. The findings suggest that persistent mistrust, competing strategic interests, and short-term incentive structures led actors to repeatedly choose defection over cooperation. These dynamics produced a series of suboptimal outcomes that prolonged the conflict and undermined long-term stabilization efforts. The study concludes that the failure of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan cannot be explained solely by military limitations but rather by structural cooperation failures within a multi-actor strategic environment.

WAR, RELIGION AND AESTHETICS: ANALYSIS OF TEHREEK-I-TALIBAN PAKISTAN’S TARANAS

2026-08-05T05:17:23-05:00

Various socio-economic factors affect the recruitment and indoctrination into radical groups in this region, including poverty, political instability, tribalism, and religious extremism. Radical groups in this area advocate for a violent and extremist form of Islam and would justify using violence against Islam's enemies, regardless of whether they are Muslims or not. Many young men in this area have limited economic opportunities available to them; thus, some claim joining a radical group provides an opportunity to escape poverty and obtain power or status. This study contributes to an understanding of the use of ideological frames and recruitment of militants, specifically through an analysis and description of a relatively unknown instrument for propaganda used by the Taliban - the chants (taranas) that they use. These melodious chants utilize symbolic, iconic, and historical nouns, as well as create emotion in listeners (e.g., sorrow, pride, despair, hope, and grievances). These chants serve to mobilize and persuade the general population to accept the Taliban's ideology and worldview. In addition, the chants provide an overview of the strategies, channels of communication, and recruitment tools used by militant organizations in both Pakistan and Afghanistan to raise and recruit new supporters. This investigation's greatest contribution is the analysis of Taliban chants and other propaganda artifacts.