Unending violence in Pakistan

This report examines political violence, sectarianism, insurgency, militancy and terrorism in Pakistan, approaches of political parties and government and its implications for the society and polity of Pakistan. The report focuses on a one-year period after the May 2013 general elections, which saw the PML-N assuming power in Islamabad with the Provinces being led by other national and regional parties. According to the report, the rising tide of violence and terrorism being witnessed in Pakistan has its basis in the society and polity of Pakistan which enable a culture of intolerance and hatred which is so deeply entrenched that it has made the state's fight against terror extremely difficult. The overall internal security situation gets even more complicated because of the fact that various sectarian groups and radical organizations like the TTP and other fundamentalist forces are not only closely networked, but also have an ideological affinity and provide each other sanctuaries and bases. Moreover, there are radicals within the ranks of the army, political parties and civil society who support these groups and their activities; and rather than accepting that Pakistan is plagued by home-grown radicalism, they resort to diversionary tactics and put the blame on external powers, which inevitably weakens the domestic resolve to fight the growing menace of terrorism and extremism.