Pakistan’s Cautious Navigation through the Evolution of International Counter-Terrorism Law: An Analysis

Abstract

The objective of this research is to study the development of counter-terrorism law in Pakistan in the context of the evolution of international counter-terrorism law. Terrorist activities conducted by organizations within the confines of a state for the advancement of their goals predominantly constitute an internal matter of the state. However, the matter becomes relevant to international concern when such organizations direct their actions against the interests of other states. The doctrinal legal analysis approach was adopted in this study. The result of this study found that the stance of Pakistan on counterterrorism is complicated due to several factors, i.e., the will of the state to counterterrorism, geopolitical and sociopolitical considerations, the policies of international and regional players, and the policy and legal apparatus in Pakistan. It is recommended that the state of Pakistan adopt a wholistic approach, according to the dynamics of terrorism, to counter terrorism in letter and spirit.