Rise of Islamic State in Af-Pak Region: Pakistan’s Counterterrorism Policy

Abstract

Pakistan became a terrorist attraction because of better hiding place as Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) were governed under Frontier Crimes Regulations , Baluchistan and Karachi remained in chaos .After the war against terrorism Taliban and AlQaeda‟s infrastructure was destroyed but that vacuum was quickly filled by the Islamic State (Daesh).The Islamic State emerged as more deadly terrorist network with a unconventional approach to recruit ,plot and attack , other splinter groups in Pakistan bandwagoned with the Islamic State. This paper analyses the emergence of Islamic state in Pakistan and its nexus with Al-Qaeda as a struggle to establish Islamic State of Khorasan in the Afg-Pak region. The paper also highlights financial resources of terrorist groups and poorly managed madrassa reforms under the „National Action Plan‟. It also recommends that relying solely on kinetic means may not yield desired results in counterterrorism but softer approach of deradicalization and countering violent extremism is equally effective. This paper focusses on pre-Taliban‟s Afghanistan.