Pak fighting war of perception: Tarar

Pakistan is engaged in a war of perception, according to Information Minister Attaullah Tarar. Speaking at a workshop in Islamabad, Tarar argued that the fight against terrorism must go beyond security operations to combat extremist narratives and misinformation. He pointed out that the country's experience showed that the "perception and narrative war" often begins before the actual conflict.

Tarar acknowledged that Pakistan had made significant progress in countering terrorism, but a recent policy reversal had undermined years of counter-terrorism efforts. He emphasized the importance of information managers or narrative builders in reducing the gap between perception and reality, stressing the critical role of the information battle in countering terrorism.

The country had faced major security challenges in Karachi, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, leading to the introduction of the National Action Plan. Tarar noted that this plan received support from all stakeholders, including federal and provincial governments, the armed forces, and other institutions. He claimed that terrorism had been largely eliminated by 2017, after which investment started returning to Pakistan and the security situation improved.

However, Tarar argued that a subsequent change in policy caused significant damage to the counter-terrorism campaign. He highlighted that political parties had not been consulted when the policy was changed, and the four years of efforts against terrorism suffered greatly due to this policy reversal.

Despite these challenges, Tarar pointed out that Pakistan had achieved notable diplomatic gains and emerged as a mediator, contributing to an improved international perception of the country. He emphasized that Pakistan's soft image had spread across the world, and the government was working to further enhance the country's image through the power of narrative.

Tarar stressed that terrorism had no color, race, or religion, and the state would not tolerate attempts to impose ideologies through violence. He also noted that the National Action Plan's legal framework needed to be strengthened, and the government, provinces, and other institutions continued working together to counter terrorism and extremist narratives.

He concluded by mentioning the Pahalgam attack and the subsequent tensions with India, stating that the battle over perceptions had begun even before any military confrontation.