Online radicalization in Pakistan is a convoluted phenomenon influenced by medley of religio-political and socio-economic factors.
Since long, Pakistan is grappling with scourge of extremism and militancy.
The internet especially Social Media platforms have taken preponderant position with the advent of technology.
Moreover, it has become tool for radical groups to disseminate dogmatic ideology, recruit members and inciting violence.
The augmentation of Internet penetration, especially through smart phones and digital media platforms, provides violent content a wider audience.
Terrorist organizations employ social Media and internet for the purpose of recruitment, financing, subversion, training, inducement to commit acts of terrorism and the collection and spread of information for terrorist activities.
The increasing judicious employability of internet and social media by terrorist organizations for propagation of their violent ideologies and for recruitment allurements has resulted into the grievous threat of online radicalization to an astronomical level.
Diverse terrorist groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), ISIS Khorasan, BYC, PTM, BLA, BRA and their offshoot groups use different Platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, WhatsApp, YouTube, videos and online publications to share propaganda, glorify Jihad, indoctrination and recruitment purposes.
It has alarmingly increased the youth’s vulnerability to online-self-radicalization.
With increasing internet penetration in the country, Pakistan has shown great vulnerability to online radicalization.
Currently, there are 116 million internet users in Pakistan and social media users are approximately 66.9 million.
These figures are reflecting bigger threat if we don’t pay heed to consider the measures of combating online radicalization.
However, sustained efforts should be done to eliminate the threat of online radicalization through utilizing digital and social media to disseminate information and resources that are aimed at encouraging disengagement and questioning of a terrorist’s commitment to the terrorist organisation.
Dr Omer Ashour views the use of the internet as a vital tool in disseminating counter-messages and narratives in order to promote de-radicalization amongst radicalized terrorists.
Given the expansive body of terrorist group material that is propagates through social media and the internet, it seems reasonable that the internet is also the platform for publicizing effective counter-narrative messages with the aim of promoting disengagement amongst the radicalized.
This is due to two reasons, firstly, through the vast expanse of digital terrorism propaganda, secondly, technical interventions such as taking down WebPages or denial of service
However, Government of Pakistan has taken tangible steps against abuse of internet and misuse of social media.
The prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, (PECA) 2016 & Amendments 2025, Digital Rights Protection Authority (DRPA), Protection of Pakistan Act (PPA) 2014, Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997, establishment of E-Safety Authority (2023) & National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), robust functioning of NACTA, enhanced punishments on spreading fake news, strict implementation of National Action Plan and ubiquitous monitoring of online violent content marked a receding trajectory in misuse of social media for glorification and indoctrination of terrorism.
Bjorgo propounds a theory of push and pull factors.
Push factors means the conditions suitable to violent extremism and the structural context from which it stems.
These include: socio-economic deprivations; marginalization and exploitative discrimination; bad governance, infringement of human rights and the Rule of Law; elongated and souring conflicts; and radicalization in correctional facilities.
Pull factors means the individual predilections, which play a key role in changing ideas and grievances into violent extremist doings.
These include: individual social status; grievances and injustice arising from genocides, victimization, suzerainty or foreign invasion; abuse and misuse of beliefs, political underpinnings, ethnic and socio-cultural discrepancies.
Pakistan is diverse in Ethno-socio and religio-political dimensions.
There is strong need to reconstruct the misplaced religious thought by disseminating the narrative countering radical extremist’s ideologies.
This uphill task can be done by intellectual and enlightened response to critical ideologies, revival of moribund cultural and social values.
Rehabilitation and reintegration of extremist elements can be done by creating environment, generating job, imparting vocational training, after care monitoring process, respectful involvement of parents and social reengineering of militants and terrorist.
However, digital literacy, sustainability of deradicalization efforts, propagation of counter narratives to demystify the terrorist’s violent narratives, consolidation of youth engagement programmes, political mainstreaming of religious parties, redressal of grievances of dissident groups would go a long way to establish peace, amity and security in society.
The prevalence of justice and redressal of genuine grievances of dissident groups will help in ushering Pakistan into the era of peace and prosperity.
—The writer is Inspector in Police & PhD Political Science from GCUF. (rizwanbh79@gmail.com)
