From DDR to DDVE
Rethinking Non-Kinetic Responses to Terrorism in Pakistan
Abstract
The first- and second-generation Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) of the United Nations were thought to be inadequate in responding to the changing nature of the post-9/11 wave of global terrorism. Therefore, member states confronting the threat are implementing country-specific CVE interventions as a part of their non-kinetic responses. Pakistan, a country ranked second in 2025 in the global list of worst-hit countries, has adopted a combination of non-kinetic CVE measures, including deradicalization, rehabilitation, and counter-narrative. The paper critically examines these interventions in light of the DDR-CVE convergence model presented by Richard and recommends combining these state-led initiatives with the third-generation UN DDR programmes to develop a futuristic Demobilization and Disengagement of Violent Extremism (DDVE) framework tailored to the local context.
Keywords: terrorism; Pakistan; disarmament; demobilization; reintegration; violent extremism
Metadata Record
References 32
- Muggah, Robert. “Next-Generation Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration.” World Politics Review. June 17, 2014. https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/next-generation-disarmament-demobilization-and-reintegration/.
- Muggah, Robert, and Chris O’Donnell. “Next-Generation Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration.” International Journal of Security and Development 4, no. 1 (2015). https://doi.org/10.5334/sta.fs.
- Cockayne, James, and Siobhan O’Neil. “Can the UN Demobilize and Disengage Violent Extremists?” June 2, 2015. https://unu.edu/cpr/blog-post/can-un-demobilize-and-disengage-violent-extremists.
- Kaplan, Oliver. “Reintegration around the World: Insights from the DDR Program Dataset (DDRPD), 1953-2020.” Stockholm: Folke Bernadotte Academy, 2024. https://doi.org/10.61880/RJEA2456.
- Richards, Joanne. “Demobilising and Disengaging Violent Extremists: Towards a New UN Framework.” International Journal of Security and Development 6, no. 1 (2017): 1-5. https://doi.org/10.5334/sta.543.
- “2.10 The UN Approach to DDR.” https://www.unddr.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IDDRS-2.10-The-UN-Approach-to-DDR_19-Nov-2019.pdf.
- Khattak, Daud. “Reviewing Pakistan’s Peace Deals with the Taliban.” CTC Sentinel 5, no. 9 (September 2012): 11-13, https://ctc.westpoint.edu/reviewing-pakistans-peace-deals-with-the-taliban/.
- Hussain, Zahid. “Struggling against Terrorism.” Dawn. December 8, 2024. https://www.dawn.com/news/1879475/struggling-against-terrorism.
- Khan, Iftikhar A. “TTP Used “Peace Talks” to Swell Its Ranks: NACTA.” Dawn. December 9, 2022. https://www.dawn.com/news/1725422.
- Momand, Abdullah, and Irfan Sadozai. “NA Security Moot Urges National Consensus, Unified Political Role to Fight Terrorism.” Dawn. March 18, 2025. https://www.dawn.com/news/1898687/na-security-moot-urges-national-consensus-unified-political-role-to-fight-terrorism.
- Horgan, John, and Kurt Braddock. “Rehabilitating the Terrorists? Challenges in Assessing the Effectiveness of De-radicalization Programs.” Terrorism and Political Violence 22, no. 2 (2010): 267-91. https://doi.org/10.1080/09546551003594748.
- Iqbal, Khuram, and Zahid Mehmood. “Emerging Trends of On-Campus Radicalization in Pakistan.” Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism 16, no. 2 (2021): 141-56. https://doi.org/10.1080/18335330.2021.1902551.
- Khan, Selina Adam. “Deradicalization Programming in Pakistan.” Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2015. https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/PB193-Deradicalization-Programming-in-Pakistan.pdf.
- Khyber, Lateef Hakim Zai, Shahida Aman, and Syed Rashid Ali. “De-Radicalization, Rehabilitation and Re-Integration of Juvenile Militants in Pakistan: A Case Study of Sabaoon.” NUST Journal of International Peace & Stability 5, no. 2 (2022): 1-16. https://doi.org/10.37540/njips .v5i2.124.
- Iqbal, Khuram, and Muneeb Salman. “Gap Analysis of Pakistan’s Non-Kinetic Responses to Violent Extremism.” Cogent Social Sciences 9, no. 1 (2023): 2221906. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2023.2221906.
- Windisch, Steven, Peter Simi, Gina Sott Ligon, Hillary McNeel. “Disengagement from Ideologically-Based and Violent Organizations: A Systematic Review of the Literature.” Journal for Deradicalization 9 (2016): 1-38. https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1023&context=sociology_articles.
- Qazi, Shehzad H. “A War without Bombs: Civil Society Initiatives against Radicalization in Pakistan.” Policy Brief no. 60, February 2013. https://ispu.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/2013_-Policy-Brief_A-War-without-Bombs.
- Azam, Zubair, and Syeda Bareeha Fatima. “Mishal: A Case Study of Deradicalization and Emancipation Program in Swat Valley, Pakistan.” Journal for Deradicalization 11 (2017): 1-29. https://journals.sfu.ca/jd/index.php/jd/article/view/97/82.
- Basit, Abdul. “Countering Violent Extremism: Evaluating Pakistan’s Counter-Radicalization and De-radicalization Initiatives.” IPRI Journal 15, no. 2 (2015): 44-68. https://ipripak.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/3-art-s-15.pdf.
- Saba, Noor, and Hamayun Khalid. “Exploring post-Conflict Community Resilience Options for Reintegrated Individuals of Swat.” In Policy Perspectives on Countering Violent Extremism in Pakistan, edited by Muhammad Saleem Khilji, Shafqat Munir Ahmad, and Abid Qaiyum Suleri. Islamabad: Sustainable Development Policy Institute, 2021. 95-108.
- Bjorgo, Tore, and John Horgan, eds. Leaving Terrorism Behind: Individual and Collective Disengagement. London: Routledge, 2008.
- “Party Backed by Hafiz Saeed to Contest all Seats.” Dawn. December 25, 2023. https://www.dawn.com/news/1800478.
- Rana, Muhammad Amir. “Taming Militancy.” Dawn. July 27, 2025. https://www.dawn.com/news/1926846/taming-militancy.
- Droogan, Julian, Khuram Iqbal, and Syed Adnan Bukhari. “When Terrorists Attempt Politics: An Evaluation of Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Pursuit of Political Transformation.” Small Wars & Insurgencies 36, no. 2 (2025): 299-326. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09592318.2024.2423315.
- Bosley, Chris. “Violent Extremist Disengagement and Reconciliation.” Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2020. https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/2020-07/20200729-pw_163-violent_extremist_disengagement_and_reconciliation_a_peacebuilding_approach-pw.pdf.
- “Comprehensive International Framework to Counter Terrorist Narratives.” UN (S/RES/2354), May 2017, https://docs.un.org/en/S/RES/2354(2017).
- Khan, Amil. “Pakistan and the Narratives of Extremism.” Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2013. https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR327-Pakistan-and-the-Narratives-of-Extremism.pdf.
- “4.60 Public Information and Strategic Communication in Support of DDR.” February 24, 2021. https://www.unddr.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IDDRS-4.60-Public-Information_24-Feb-2021-1.pdf.
- Noor, Saba, and Arshi Saleem Hashmi. “Assessing Pakistan’s Counter Violent Extremism (CVE) Programmes to Propose an Alternative Narrative for Countering Extremist Ideologies.” Islamic Studies 64, no. 1 (2025): 105-29. http://dx.doi.org/10.52541/isiri.v64i1.3480. SEIPID
- Iqbal, Khuram, Saad Kalim Zafar, and Zahid Mehmood. “Critical Evaluation of Pakistan’s Counter-narrative Efforts.” Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism 14, no. 2 (2019): 147-63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/18335330.2019.1574020.
- “KP CM Blames Centre’s ‘Flawed Policy’ for Terror Resurgence.” Dawn. October 21, 2025. https://www.dawn.com/news/1950290.
- “Four Militants Lay down Arms in Orakzai.” Express Tribune. September 24, 2015. https://tribune.com.pk/story/962437/four-militants-lay-down-arms-in-orakzai.