PMS 2019 Solved Pakistan Affairs Past Papers | Short Note on National Action Plan
The following question of PMS Pakistan Affairs 2019 is solved by Miss Iqra Ali, the best Pakistan Affairs Coach, on the guided pattern of Sir Syed Kazim Ali, which he taught to his students, scoring the highest marks in compulsory subjects for years. This solved past paper question is uploaded to help aspirants understand how to crack a topic or question, how to write relevantly, what coherence is, and how to include and connect ideas, opinions, and suggestions to score the maximum.
Outline
1-Introduction
2- Historical Background of the National Action Plan
3-Salient Features of the National Action Plan
4-Achievements of National Action Plan
- ✓Decline in Terrorism
- ✓National Consensus on Counter Terrorism (CT) and Counter Violent Extremism (CVE)
- ✓Institutional Framework for Counter-Terrorism (CT) and Counter-Violent Extremism (CVE)
5-Challenges of the National Action Plan
- ✓Evidence-based and Data-driven Approach
- ✓De-radicalization and Rehabilitation
- ✓Non-Kinetic Counter Violent Extremism Aspects
5-Conclusion
Answer to the Question
Introduction
The National Action Plan (NAP) is a comprehensive document formulated after the APS Peshawar attack. The Plan focuses on kinetic measures to deal with both terrorism and violent extremism in the country. The 20-point document includes implementing death sentences for those convicted in terrorism cases, establishing military courts for 2 years, banning literature and magazines spreading hatred and extremism, strengthening the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), and setting up counter-terrorism forces in the country. The Plan has been successful in reducing terrorism in the country, building national unanimity on countering terrorism (CT) and countering violent extremism (CVE) in the country and constructing an institutional framework for CT and CVE. However, the policy is criticized for not being empirical and data-driven, not incorporating de-radicalization elements and not integrating non-kinetic measures to counter violent extremism. Nonetheless, the policy is an important consensual document of the entire country that guides the nation’s fight against terrorism and extremism in the country.
Historical Background of National Action Plan
Prior to the APS Peshawar attack, the political class was divided between pro-military operations and pro-negotiations camp vis-à-vis terrorists, resulting in the lack of political ownership and consensus required to deal with the menace. National Action Plan, a 20-point counter-terrorism and counter-extremism roadmap, was chalked out after the APS Peshawar attack on December 16, 2014, when hundreds of students were brutally massacred in a school. It was 2nd consensual document approved by the government after the National Internal Security Policy 2014. The Plan aims to deal with Counter Terrorism (CT) and Counter Violent Extremism (CVE) in the country with a great focus on kinetic measures. On kinetic side, Zarb-e-Azb (Sword of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)) was expanded from North Waziristan to other areas of the former Fata region, Balochistan and Karachi. On the non-kinetic front, the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) was made functional. It resulted in a fall in a number of terrorist attacks across the country and helped dismantle the command-and-control system of various terrorist groups in the country.
Main Points of the National Action Plan
Some of the points of the 20-point National Action Plan are as follows:
- Implementing capital punishment to those convicted in terrorism cases.
- Institutionalizing of military courts for two years.
- Inhibiting terror groups from operating in the country.
- Strengthening National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA).
- Taking stern action against all literature, newspapers and magazines that are spreading hatred, extremism, and intolerance.
- Curbing terror financing.
- Setting up counter-terrorism force.
- Initiating registration and regulation of Madrassahs.
- Prohibiting the exaltation of terrorists and terrorism through print and electronic media.
- Bringing administrative and development reforms in FATA.
- Revamping and reforming the criminal justice system of the country.
Achievements of the National Action Plan
- Decline in Terrorism
After NAP was drafted and Operation Zarb-e-Azb (Sword of Prophet (SAW)) was started, the country witnessed a significant decline in terrorism. All no-go areas in Karachi, Balochistan, and former FATA have been eliminated, and full control of the state over these areas has been restored. Additionally, almost all terrorist sanctuaries and safehouses have been dismantled, forcing the miscreants to leave the country. Moreover, the number of terrorist attacks has decreased from 1206 in 2014 to 229 in 2019. This decrease in the number of terrorist attacks has returned international cricket to the country, increased tourism, and helped the country attract foreign direct investment from China, Saudia Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
- National Consensus on Counter Terrorism and Counter-Violent Extremism
Before the APS Peshawar attack, also labelled as Pakistan’s 9/11, there was an absence of public consensus on the way to deal with the terror elements, with some in favour of military operations and some in favour of negotiations. However, the APS Peshawar attack was able to garner national support in favour of a kinetic response against the terror elements in the country. Major political parties, like Pakistan Muslim League (PMLN), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam Fazal-ur-Rehman (JUI-F) and Jamat-e-Islami (JI), abandoned their longstanding stance of negotiations with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and stood with others in favor of military response to the terrorists. As a result, the NAP provided the necessary political and public support required to go after the terror groups in the country.
- Institutional Framework for CT and CVE
The NAP has provided a practical institutional setup for countering terrorism and violent extremism in the country. Before NAP, the various government security institutions suffered from overlapping institutional mandates, sluggish bureaucracy, and a lack of cooperation and coordination. Even the APS Peshawar attack was one that erupted due to the lack of cooperation. Through NAP, the NACTA has been made operational as the main coordinating agency to supervise the implementation of various CT and CVE initiatives across the country.
Challenges and Policy Gaps in the National Action Plan
- Evidence-based and Data-driven Approach
NAP is less based on evidence and collected data. Most of the work in it is anecdotal, event-driven, and episodic. As a result, most of the deductions and conclusions have been simply presumed rather than substantiated through empirical observation. So, there is a need to formulate empirically driven policies that are crucial to make informed decisions.
- De-radicalization and Rehabilitation
NAP lacks policies regarding de-radicalization and rehabilitation of the repentant militants, which should have been an important component of CT and CVE policy. Many militants’ reasons for joining militancy do not lie in deep ideological motivation; rather, they are compelled due to identity crisis issues, anger against the system, socio-economic challenges, or peer pressure. So, terrorists involved in minor offences and also not motivated by terrorist groups’ ideology can be de-radicalized and rehabilitated using psychological counselling, religious education, and vocational training to return them, once again, to normal life.
- Non-Kinetic CVE Aspects
NAP majorly focuses on kinetic measures to counter terrorism and extremism in the country, with a neglect on equally important non-kinetic measures. While military operations in Swat, Former FATA, Balochistan and Karachi have been effective in uprooting terrorists from these areas, dismantling their infrastructure, and restoring the writ of the State, there is a need to adopt non-kinetic measures that could structurally address the causes behind militancy and terrorism in these areas. Enhanced service delivery and a good image of the government among the populace of these areas are necessary to discourage extremist ideologies in these areas.
Conclusion
NAP is an important document that guides the nation’s battle against terrorism and counter-violent extremism. The Action plan spells out the specifics of CT and CVE in the country. The 20-point plan aims to fight terrorism by adopting some important measures, like the death sentences for convicted terrorists, setting up military courts, strengthening NACTA and building counter-terrorism forces in the country. The plan has met with success in bringing a fall in terrorism, building national consensus on CT and CVE and institutionalizing CT and CVE in the country. Despite the challenges in the form of the absence of de-radicalization and non-kinetic measures, the policy is crucial in the nation’s fight against counter-terrorism and extremism in the country.
CSS Solved Past Papers’ Essays
Looking for the last ten years of CSS and PMS Solved Essays and want to know how Sir Kazim’s students write and score the highest marks in the essays’ papers? Then, click on the CSS Solved Essays to start reading them.
CSS Solved Essays
CSS Solved General Science & Ability Past Papers
Want to read the last ten years’ General Science & Ability Solved Past Papers to learn how to attempt them and to score high? Let’s click on the link below to read them all freely. All past papers have been solved by Pakistan’s top CSS GSA coach having the highest score of their students.
General Science & Ability Solved Past Papers
