CSS 2008 Solved Current Affairs Past Papers | Rise of Religious Extremism and Pakistan
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Question breakdown
This question requires a description of extremism and militancy in Pakistan. It also requires the details of how this militancy affects the internal stability of Pakistan and damages its democracy. Moreover, practical recommendations are sought to curb this extremism effectively.
Outline
1-Introduction
2-Religious Extremism and Militancy in Pakistan
3-Extremism and Pakistan’s Internal Stability
- ✓Investment Risks and Economic Consequences
- ✓Social Polarization and Fragmentation
- ✓Threats to Law and order & weakening of State Institutions
4-Extremism and the Future of Democracy in Pakistan
- ✓Impacting Democratic processes and Institutions
- ✓Impeding Civil Liberties and Freedom of Speech
- ✓Curtailing Progressive Reforms
5-Recommendations for improvement
- ✓Establishing Resilience against Extremism
- ✓Empowering Democratic Institutions
- ✓Fostering Education Reforms
6-Critical Analysis
7-Conclusion
Introduction
The spread of radicalization ideas has deepened sectarianism conflicts, leading to hatred and suspicion amongst religious and ethnic groups. The increase in extremism and militancy continues to present considerable risks to Pakistan’s stability, consequently raising investment issues for any country that seeks to invest in this nation with profound impacts on the economy. It has eroded free speech, reduced civilian rights, and stalled liberal change-making, stifling the nation’s growth prospects. However, this threat can be met by strengthening democracy, investing in education reform, and supporting societal liberalism by promoting resilience through more liberal policies. Censoring education, enhancing skepticism and providing vocational education play a strategic role in countering the primary causes of violence, as well as fortification of police and interfaith harmony programs, which may cue stability and security of Pakistan. A coordinated plan of action is essential, one which makes provision for security but also issues a permanent solution, such as educational system reforms and emancipation from radical concepts.
Religious Extremism and Militancy in Pakistan
The tangible and intangible factors corresponding to personal and psychological factors of an individual are injustice, non-acceptance, or the feeling of being neglected, keeping political, social and economic grievances to foster radicalization. These grievances are presented in religious and cultural contexts, even though they may be informed by strategic and tactical warfare imperatives of militant groups. Recruitment is encouraged by training and indoctrination that makes martyrs willing to die for a given cause. To understand the interaction between extremism and militancy in Pakistan, the following conceptual framework is proposed in Figure 1.1. It shows how different features of the environment act on individual and organizational needs, producing a cycle of violence. The feedback loops indicate how each militancy and corresponding counteraction can reactivate the cycle and how media and political treatments may worsen the problem.
Fig 1.1: Gap analysis of Pakistan’s non-kinetic responses to violent extremism (source: Taylor and Francis Online).
Extremism and Pakistan’s Internal Stability
- ✓ Investment Risks and Economic Consequences:
The situation has become intolerable for Pakistan as the increase in extremism and militancy continues to present considerable risks to its stability, consequently raising investment issues for any country that seeks to invest in this nation with profound impacts on the economy. Militancy, sectarianism, terrorism and the insurgents often launch frequent coordinated attacks, thus making it difficult for investment to boost the economy and international investors to invest in the country. Huge costs have been incurred for essential sectors, particularly in the tourism and manufacturing industries. However, the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies reported more than 319 terrorist incidents in the country in 2023, with severe repercussions for the economy. The ever-looming fear of violence deters investors as Pakistan is deemed a high-risk investment market, hence stiffening long-term economic growth. Extremism has a heavy cost when it comes to the economic state of a country. The total sum of these human and financial losses, including indirect losses and damages incurred due to terrorism and security issues in Pakistan, is about $ 126.79 billion during 2001-2021, as revealed by the Ministry of Finance. The execution of infrastructural projects and the attraction of FDI have also slowed or shifted to more secure zones, depriving people of employment and arresting economic development. For example, despite CPEC offering considerable promise as a geopolitical hedge, security threats have limited the investment and progress rate.
- ✓ Social Polarization and Fragmentation:
The extremism has continued to widen the social cleavages and resultant polarization within Pakistan that currently poses considerable downside risk to internal security. The spread of radicalization ideas has deepened sectarianism conflicts, leading to hatred and suspicion amongst religious and ethnic groups. Sunni and Shia have engaged in violence and caused high fatalities; clashes show the harmful effects of religious intolerance on societal differences. The South Asia Terrorism Portal calculated the fatalities due to sectarian violence in Pakistan as more than two hundred in 2022, which shows the harsh, bitter reality of the sectarian divide in the country. Religious polarization is also not an exception but is accompanied by political and regional differences. Radical stories also revolve around ethnic differences between provinces, for instance, Balochistan complaining of marginalization and unfair resource allocation. This has not only led to calls for secession but has also stretched the unity of a nation to the extent that there is an increased challenge to coordinate policies to be pursued on economic redevelopment or even social reformation. These gaps are manned by the extremity that harnesses feelings of bitterness to mobilize followers and also incite hatred against the state. The occurrence of societal division due to extremism leads to the formation of an unending chain of hostility and suspicion.
- ✓ Threats to Law and order & weakening of State Institutions:
Terrorist organizations undermine the state authority by attacking security forces, police and courts. The horrific incident where terrorists attacked the Army Public School in Peshawar in 2014 and killed over 140 innocent people, especially children, shows how daring the militant groups are that they can destroy even institutional structures. Such actions not only threaten the population but also convey initiative to the state that its institutions are fragile. A survey by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics reveals that 6000 security personnel died between 2007 and 2022, which indicated weaknesses in state security structures under the pressure of rising militancy. Moreover, the extremism has spread to different dimensions of the civil government of Pakistan, the police and judiciary, which are corrupt, inefficient and intimidating to enforce the law. This has been manifested in such areas as Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the government has been fighting militia and other presumed local rag-tag groups. These groups work anonymously, making it almost impossible for police to carry criminal cases or even maintain law and order situations against them. These factors not only impact the national security of Pakistan but also undermine the government’s capacity to reform.
Extremism and the Future of Democracy in Pakistan
- ✓ Impacting Democratic processes and Institutions:
Extremism goes a notch higher to influence the democratic process and affects political liberties and opposition voices. This often occurs particularly against political leaders and parties, as they label them as secular or in opposition to the militants. For example, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated by militant groups late in 2007, and her death laid the foundation for how extremism could hamper the running of a democracy. Likewise, contestants to political leadership positions and political activists are often threatened or physically attacked, which reduces voter turnout, that is, hindering vote casting in volatile regions of conflict. It means that the Pakistani voters, mainly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan provinces, are forced to give their votes to either support the extremism or not to turn out to vote at all for fear of their lives. This undercuts the credibility of the electoral process in which a large part of the population is locked out of voting altogether, and the voting rate dwindles.
- ✓ Impeding Civil Liberties and Freedom of Speech:
Radical organizations, by force and through coercion, have succeeded in controlling freedom of speech, especially where it goes against their doctrinal religious or political beliefs. This has led to the repression of democratic voices, which are mandatory in a civil society. For example, journalists in Pakistan have been easier targets for extremism attacks, for instance, the murder of investigative journalist Saleem Shahzad in 2011, who was reported to have been murdered by the militants for exposing their network. This climate of fear discourages reporters from covering the issues as they engage in programmes that critically analyze power. Later, in 2011, Punjab Governor Salman Taseer lost his life when a police bodyguard shot him dead. This murder was viewed as a definite message to others who have plans to oppose religious beliefs or other doctrines supported by the state. It, along with silencing free speech, also put up a chilling effect, under which people muzzle their opinions due to fear of backlash. Pakistan’s democracy will only strengthen if there is freedom of speech and other civil liberties where extremism cannot curb positive civil interaction.
- ✓ Curtailing Progressive Reforms:
The emergence of militancy and extremism in Pakistan also greatly affected progressive social transformations and legislation and put into question many difficulties that policy-makers, activists and civil society organizations experience while trying to advance social and legal changes. This is because the extreme principles of the militant side are entirely opposite to liberal values, which include gender and minority rights, education and freedom of speech. Consequently, organizational change initiatives intended to increase representation, equity, justice, and innovation are often slowed down, sabotaged, or terminated. One such example is Pakistan’s blasphemy laws; reform is very challenging and often used by hate groups as a method to oppress minorities and crush freedom of speech. Human rights cases that concern the rights of Muslims or involve the protection of the rights of women are weak to be addressed because these groups threaten them, and the courts fear reprisal. This erodes the people’s trust in the judicial system and slows any legal changes that would foster justice and equity in any society. As long as extremism remains a threat, there are not likely to be legislative shifts required to bring about the kind of change needed to make for a better, more progressive Pakistan.
Recommendations for improvement
- ✓ Establishing Resilience against Extremism:
Combating extremism and militancy in the society of Pakistan needs a properly planned and executed framework that should address the seeds of radicalization and, at the same time, work actively for the creation of a tolerant society. One of the most important steps is educational reform, which has now become the need of the time. Also, Economic empowerment can be viewed as a key contributing factor to countering extreme measures. Pakistan has a growing youth population, with the youth representing 64% of the population, many living in poverty without jobs. These groups lure the youth with promises of financial support and a better life. Moreover, community engagement and interfaith dialogue are also important to establish resilience in society. In most cases, the emergence of religious fundamentalism is a result of social stratification. In a society like Pakistan, severe religious intolerance is a burning issue; it calls for the active involvement of government as well as civil society to foster interfaith harmony so that there is systematic strengthening of the society against extremism.
- ✓ Empowering Democratic Institutions:
Countering extremism in Pakistan also demands democratization capacity building to combat the sources of radicalization and improve the values of democracy in Pakistan, which include pluralism, tolerance, and the rule of law. An important area to be worked on is the consolidation of the judiciary and the police. Another weakness is the legal system of Pakistan, which has often been accused of being slow and, most of the time, handling cases in an ineffective way when it comes to terrorism-related cases. For decades, Pakistan’s police have been understaffed and ill-equipped to address extremism and militancy. The polity empowering democratic institutions hinges on a professional and politically impartial force to cope with extremism. Moreover, electoral reforms proved to be an effective way of preventing extremism. Independence of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), increasing cross-party democracy and ensuring the party responsibility regarding the nexus of their candidates with the extremist parties can be proved to be beneficial to stop extremism and the extension of their roots in the political arena of Pakistan. Besides that, promoting the ‘Right to Vote’ and ‘Right to be elected’ can guarantee that Pakistani democracy would be proof of extremist sophistry.
- ✓ Fostering Education Reforms:
Extremism and militancy are a decisive issue that needs comprehensive educational reform to address the ideologies of radicalization to build tolerance, a critical mind and social integration in Pakistan. The goal of these reforms should first focus on changing an educational system into a process that strengthens the idea of pacification, tolerance, and democratic values. The two major areas to be worked on include the changes in the curricular content to eliminate content that fosters intolerance, hatred and extremism in religion. The other is teaching critical thinking and life skills education. The lack of skills development in Pakistani students forces them to cram information to answer questions in the exam. The education system should include professional training and skill development activities to incubate extremism. The education system of Pakistan can produce more radical minds by revising textbooks and removing intolerance and hatred against other religions. These reforms will require time and effort, but the long-term results will greatly diminish the chances of extremism within Pakistan.
Critical Analysis
The extremism in Pakistan destabilizes the internal situation and the idea of democracy. Though the military, oppressive measures and other hard-line policies have helped curb some of the extremism for a certain period, they have not addressed the separate social issues, including poor economy, illiteracy and political unrest that are the primary sources of extremism. A coordinated plan of action is essential, one which makes provision for security but also issues a permanent solution, such as educational system reforms and emancipation from radical concepts. To effectively fight militancy, steps have to be taken to incorporate humanity, business, education and spirituality instead of responding to threats. If this is not achieved, then the only future that Pakistan will continue to face is outright cycles of extremism that are detrimental to peace as well as democracy.
Conclusion
Extremism and militancy have created problems for Pakistan by destabilizing its internal environment, threatening its democracy, and slowing its societal development. Extremism has also weakened state institutions and democracy to this stage, bringing social disruption, economic insecurity, instability, and division. It has eroded free speech, reduced civilian rights, and stalled liberal change-making, stifling the nation’s growth prospects. However, this threat can be met by strengthening democracy, investing in education reform, and supporting societal liberalism by promoting resilience through more liberal policies. Censoring education, enhancing skepticism and providing vocational education play a strategic role in countering the primary causes of violence, as well as fortification of police and interfaith harmony programs, which may cue stability and security of Pakistan. Thus, Pakistan needs to extend better education and a supportive democratic environment that would positively transform the society and respect diversity.
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