The scourge of extremism has penetrated into the fabric of society. Extremism and terrorism has wreaked havoc upon socio-political progress, economic prosperity and national cohesion. It has claimed thousands of precious lives of civilians and personnel of police and armed forces. Religious and political extremism creates uncertainty, skepticism, hatred and jingoism in society.
The upsurge of religious and ethnic extremism and the concomitant predominance of violence and militancy have caused considerable mayhem and distress globally. The adoption of extreme views and of violent means to express resentment is described as violent extremism. The extremist has developed the idea that fear and violence are legitimate means of ideological and social transformation and uses violent activities to further their aims. Community policing is a pro-active measure, focusing on effective collaboration between LEAs and respective communities to identify, prevent, prohibit, rehabilitate and to prevent recidivism. Moreover, the more powerful a community is, the more capable it will be of handling radicalization.
Pakistan is in the forefront of fighting against extremism and terrorism. The non-state actors are active in fuelling unrest in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Both provinces are facing the brunt of insurgency and militancy. The recent train-jacking in Balochistan by the Balochistan Liberation Army is a horrendous terrorist incident which has compelled the security forces to think about adoption of hard policy and kinetic measures to smash the outlawed militias. Likewise Tehreek Taliban Pakistan and its affiliates are wreaking havoc in KP. However, the use of kinetic measures have not so far eliminated nefarious militant elements, despite thousands of lives having been sacrificed in the quest of preserving peace and stability.
Community policing and neighbourhood policing are two different but interlinked concepts, which identify the need for the police to work with the communities they police. Â Public support is essential to effectively combat extremism and terrorism. Community participation includes crime prevention and detection, consultative groups, exhibition and support activities, victim support schemes, juvenile schemes, interaction with public representatives, and the business community in order to help the distressed people of society through the effective and cost-effective involvement of notable community members.
The families of militants and society at large play a pivotal role in the sustained reformation of extremists. The stakeholders should know the radicalization process as first comes the ideological engagement, then the individual becomes radicalized, then some sort of event becomes a catalyst resulting in violent extremism. However, Counter Violent Extremism can be defined as Proactive actions to counter efforts by extremists to recruit, radicalize, and mobilize followers to violence.
Neighbourhood policing is essentially geographically based and its functionality restricted to territorial and political boundaries, the term acknowledges that several communities may exist within a geographical area. Community policing is the delivery style that predominantly relies on the police understanding and responding to each different community, building trust, identification of symptoms of radicalization, engagement of local leaders, widespread education, enlightenment, involvement of youth and rehabilitation of strayed terrorist elements within a geographical neighbourhood. Moreover, human resources of intelligence can be augmented with the active involvement of civil society. Enhanced and fostered trusting partnership with the community will definitely build resilience against violent extremism. Community policing is predominantly based on preventive and proactive an effective public-police partnership helps in addressing the diverse issues of public nuisance. Besides handling criminal issues, it strengthens civic engagement, enhances community awareness about redoubtable issues and creates understanding about organized asymmetric nature of crimes.
There comes a signal crime analysis regarding insecurity indicators and panic drivers in the Muslim communities. There are three significant signal crimes such as drug problems, burglary and provocative hate crimes. The hate, racial prejudice and discriminatory crimes are paramount in infusing a sense of injustice, insecurity and pushing individuals toward the malady of radicalization. Forging partnerships with public and private community stakeholders, socializing with residents and community leaders, sharing information, and investigating reports of suspicious or unusual behaviour are all components of community policing that are easily accommodative to prevention of terrorism and combating violent extremism
There is a dire need to re-evaluate the 20 points of the National Action Plan and firmly implement the National Internal Security Policy to rein in the monster of extremism and militancy in society. Revamping and reforming the criminal justice system must be done wholeheartedly. Political reconciliation of all stakeholders in Balochistan will prove to be the last nail in the coffin of extremism. Militant outfits and armed gangs should be straitjacketed to inhibit their nefarious activities.Â
Pakistani society is very much resilient, resolute and brave on the front of combating violent extremism. The menace of militancy, extremism and terrorism has engulfed Pakistan and the smokescreen has started to shed off through hard military measures. Pakistani society has exhibited unprecedented bravery, will and capacity to counter extremism and obscurantism by devising indigenous rehabilitation frameworks and propagating a counter-narrative in the accepted vernacular to yield magnificent results.
The exhaustive and elaborative study reflects that Pakistan’s civil society is vibrant on five major levels. Firstly, the respectable and community leaders glorified the dynamics of peace, prosperity and the social cohesiveness according to indigenous frameworks that echo in both urban and rural areas. Secondly, the pamphlets and public awareness campaigns held to educate the public and community about the existing and impending threat of extremism. Thirdly, the legitimacy of the extremist messages was challenged through traditional and faith-based enlightened religious organizations and helped in correction at the ideological level. Fourthly, the terrorist’s attacks on innocent civilians were challenged as inhuman and dubbed acts of violence against humanity through the good offices of cultural and faith-based organizations. Fifthly, the funding to terrorists was chocked and community-based organizations denounced their act of violence, causing awareness in the public to avoid donations to trusts whose credentials are doubtful.
Neighbourhood policing can combat extremism if the state is presented as reasonable and fair through its actions by solving the problems identified by the community. With the effective and wholesome engagement of the community, confidence can be established on a firm footing. With this, more intelligence will be available and the result of that engagement will promote cohesion and help in combating extremism. Communities, Extremism and extreme communities have always existed and are likely to continue to exist. Therefore, the existence of terrorism happens to continue: One of the depressing legacies of the history of terrorism is that it is always likely to be with us.
There is a dire need to re-evaluate the 20 points of the National Action Plan and firmly implement the National Internal Security Policy to rein in the monster of extremism and militancy in society. Revamping and reforming the criminal justice system must be done wholeheartedly. Political reconciliation of all stakeholders in Balochistan will prove to be the last nail in the coffin of extremism. Militant outfits and armed gangs should be straitjacketed to inhibit their nefarious activities. Fighting against extremism requires a whole of society approach. Undoubtedly, the grievances of the Baloch need to be taken into account for the formulation of better policy which brings peace, coherence, national integration and solidarity in Balochistan. The state should take into account the drivers which foment fissiparous, violent and separatist tendencies. Undoubtedly, community policing promotes dialogue and inclusivity among members of society.
