A Critique against "Counterterrorism"

"Counterterrorism" as a concept is a colonial construct designed to put down freedom movements in the faraway colonies by labelling them as 'terrorist' outfits in hopes to strip away their genuine grievances and legitimacy. (British in the US, Malaya, India; French in Algeria and etc).

Unfortunately, this concept found traction in the newly emerged postcolonial states after WWII, where the ruling political and military elite took up and internalised the language of "counterterrorism" to forge a nation. This initially meant quashing resistance/independence movements but later also human rights and democratic movements against military and authoritarian regimes.

Since then, for the ruling political and military elite in the postcolonial states, "Counterterrorism" has become an acceptable term for basically a war against your own people in pursuit of maintaining status quo, and extracting foreign security aid.

If Pakistan, therefore, really wants to address its "terrorism" problem, it has to discard the framing and language of "counterterrorism" as it reeks colonial mindset and tactics that can't be applied against your own people.

In continuing to use "Counterterrorism" as a framing discourse for policy action, the state of Pakistan, especially the Pakistan Army dangerously sets itself up as a colonising force in this configuration.

There is no winning in this configuration, especially not against your own people.