On February 09, 2023, the Police Training Center (PTC) Quetta organized training on “Understanding the role of proxy terrorism and counter-radicalization in modern policing” at their center. Mr. Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), was invited as a keynote speaker to address the occasion. The lecture was attended by the provincial police officers who were on their promotional course (from the Inspector Police to the Deputy Superintendent of the Balochistan Police).

Speaking to the audience, Mr. Gul reiterated the importance of modern policing and technology required for ensuring peace and security, particularly in the Balochistan province, and further stressed how integrating a strong security perspective and close collaboration across all security domains would result in peace and stability. The keynote speaker also suggested that national and provincial governments should interact with international agencies to equip our police force with contemporary pieces of training and equipment required for forensics and countering violent extremism.

Addressing the prevailing challenges faced by the local security agencies, Mr. Gul stated that currently, the Tehreek-e- Taliban (TTP) Pakistan is the most fundamental threat faced by Pakistan. Noting that, the role of police becomes more crucial as TTP’s primary targets are civilians and law enforcement agencies personnel. He added that the proxy war elements have further exacerbated the situation by funding these militant agencies and violent extremists. Therefore, our law enforcement agencies should act together and collectively respond to this situation.

Discussing the roles of exploitation due to unemployment and financial insecurity in violent extremist recruitment, Mr. Gul stated: “Financial imbalance in the society creates pressures on men and women, which can make an individual feel frustrated. The violent extremist groups exploit this sentiment, and, that is why it is important to address this in our efforts to prevent violent extremism.” Furthermore, he also instructed the police officials to conduct community policing to ensure public safety.

Finally, Mr. Gul advised the officers to perform their duties to the best of their ability, as only by doing so they could earn the public’s trust, which would eventually aid in maintaining a peaceful and lawful society. The participants also engaged with Mr. Gul in an interactive Q&A session afterward.