ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the question of extremism and looks at the ways extremist narratives were built in Pakistan’s context. It focuses on the definitional problem due to the lack of distinction between extremism, terrorism and radicalization, leading to confusing government policies and poor implementation of counter-extremism initiatives. State-led and endorsed exclusivist narratives have been extended by non-state and foreign actors to the point, where non-state actors have outgrown state and foreign influence. The extremist narratives have been internalized in society with such diverse influence and manifestation that countering them has become problematic. It is important to study extremist narratives and their underlying themes to understand their appeal to the masses. There is an array of extremist elements in society and diversity within the themes of extremist narratives, so building an effective counter-narrative would require integration of religious, ethnic, cultural and moral aspects, along with appropriate choice of messenger and means of message dissemination.
