Pakistan Establishes National Committee on Narrative Building to Combat Extremism, and Terrorism

The Government of Pakistan has taken a significant step in its fight against extremism and terrorism with the establishment of the ‘National Committee on Narrative Building.’ This 20-member body has been formed based on the recommendations from the Apex Committee’s June 2024 meeting on revising the National Action Plan. Chaired by Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, the committee’s mandate is to formulate, disseminate, and evaluate a cohesive national narrative against extremism through media, communication, and cyber networks.

The committee comprises a cross-section of key government and security officials, including the Secretary for Information and Broadcasting, provincial and territorial Information Ministers, the Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA), and high-level representatives from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). This coordinated, multi-institutional approach underscores a recognition that a comprehensive strategy is needed to counter ideological threats beyond conventional security measures.

Functioning under the umbrella of this new committee, the Federal Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has also constituted the ‘Qaumi Paigham-e-Aman Committee’ (National Peace Committee). This body, also chaired by Minister Tarar, will focus specifically on developing a unified message against sectarianism and hate speech. Its members represent a diverse array of voices, including prominent religious scholars like Senator Hafiz Abdul Karim, Mufti Abdul Rahim, Allama Arif Hussain Wahidi, and Dr. Muhammad Raghib Hussain Naeemi, as well as minority community representatives such as Bishop Azad Marshall, Rajesh Kumar Hardasani, and Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora.

These domestic measures are complemented by Pakistan’s active and growing role in international counter-terrorism diplomacy. The country has recently assumed the chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS). According to the Foreign Office, this role reflects the SCO’s confidence in Pakistan’s contribution to regional peace and security. Furthermore, as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2025–26 term, Pakistan has been appointed vice chair of the UNSC’s Counter-Terrorism Committee, a significant diplomatic development that highlights its commitment to a global framework for combating terrorism.

In a related briefing, Minister Tarar announced the launch of the “Bolo” campaign, which will broadcast “human stories” to encourage citizens to actively speak out against terrorism and extremism. The Minister also highlighted broader governmental reforms, including initiatives by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to promote tax compliance and transparency through simplified tax return forms. He also confirmed that reforms are underway at Pakistan Television (PTV) to boost revenue and improve service delivery, and that the long-standing Rs. 35 TV fee in electricity bills has been abolished. The Minister also proposed the formation of a sub-committee to review laws concerning job security for electronic media journalists.

The full extent of the committee’s terms of reference will be finalized in its inaugural session and then submitted to the National Committee on Narrative Building for approval.

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