Pakistan’s authorities struggle to control the country’s issues with terrorism, extremism, and religious violence. Studies from recent years have shown that Pakistani authorities, particularly in rural areas, act under pressure from extremist groups or fail to respond altogether.
Despite Pakistan’s struggles with terrorism and radicalization, youth in the country are standing up for peace. In August 2025, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), with support from the European Union (EU), collaborated to organize a four-day Youth Peace Champions (YPCs) training workshop in Islamabad. The workshop sought to empower young leaders with the skills to counter terrorism with communication, psychosocial support, and storytelling.
Forty youth leaders from across the country took part in interactive sessions teaching them to build communication skills and resilience, as well as how to promote community cohesion in areas hit by extremism and terror. Of the 40 youth who participated, 23 were women.
The trainings opened with welcome remarks by UNODC and NACTA officials, who discussed the importance of youth in fostering resilient communities. The youth learned about the science of communication, exploring how mind, body, and health interact in dialogue. They also participated in mindfulness, mediation, and perspective-taking exercises.
The youth leaders studied how storytelling can be an impactful tool for peacebuilding. They then co-designed storytelling missions that they will bring to enhance peace and social cohesion within their communities.
Other exercises focused on role-playing and body mapping. These exercises taught the youth how to support peers impacted by terrorism.
The workshop ended with a community storytelling showcase, where participants presented group projects, showing how communication and narrative practices can combat violence and “rebuild social harmony,” the UNODC Pakistan reported.
The workshop was part of the project Countering and Preventing Terrorism in Pakistan (CPTP). The project’s three components are: A. strengthening the capacity of criminal justice institutions; B. strengthening victim support through an effective legal system; and C. fostering community engagement via developing sustainable networks.
Despite the dangers, brave Pakistanis have spoken out for peace and against terrorism. In May 2025, Pakistan’s city of Narowal, located near the Indian border, was the scene of an important peace initiative, the Narowal Peace Dialogue Forum. Religious scholars, eduactors, media professionals, and policymakers gathered under the banner “Rejecting Hate, Rebuilding Peace.” This grassroots forum took place on the anniversary of the 2018 assassination attempt on Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, who survived being shot during a gathering.
In his op-ed for The News International, Minister Iqbal said that Pakistan “stands at a crossroads,” and the forum aimed to “transform pain into purpose.” He added that children will now grow up learning that “disagreement is not enmity,” and that diversity is a strength, rather than a threat. Iqbal said that educational curriculum reform would include lessons on tolerance, civic responsibility, and the shared history of diverse groups.
In February 2025, the UNODC Pakistan, with support from Canada, organized a three-day training session on countering internet terrorism. Experts shared views on terrorist attack cycles, apps preferred by extremists, and case studies. Participants learned about tools such as advanced Google searching techniques that enabled people to discover sensitive internet information, capture essential security files, and explore vulnerabilities in systems.
Keywords: Pakistan, Pakistani, youth, peacebuilding, terrorism, conflict, conflict resolution, peace
Tara Abhasakun
Tara Abhasakun is Peace News Network (PNN)'s managing editor. She is journalist based in Christchurch, New Zealand, and formerly in Bangkok, Thailand. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
