On 20 December 2013, UMT School of Law and Policy [SLP] hosted a talk, titled "Terrorism and Its Implications for Pakistan," by Salman Choudhry [LL.M (Hamburg), LL.M (Rotterdam), EMLE (Rotterdam); Deputy Inspector General, Punjab Police]. The participants included faculty and students.
Mr. Choudhry started the talk by explaining the internationally accepted definition of the term "terrorism" and highlighted the difference between freedom fighters and terrorists. He then briefly discussed the point of view of International Court of Justice regarding these issues and whether the domestic courts of a country should be allowed to charge these terrorists. The speaker further stated the historical background of the emergence of terrorism. He explained how terrorism emerged in the three monotheistic religions namely Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
The speaker gave examples of various countries that have committed acts of terrorism. He stated that the acts of terrorism were initially started by individuals fighting for their independence and for their states. The fact that these individuals succeeded in their goals through acts of terrorism inspired others to follow the same path.
Mr. Choudhry further talked about the rise of religious terrorism around the world. He named some important players in "Islamic terrorism" and briefly outlined their role in conducting and promoting acts of terrorism across borders. He also touched upon the philosophy of both Osama Bin Laden and Dr. Al- Zawahiri with respect to Pakistan and their reasons for waging war against the country.
Furthermore, the speaker also discussed the militancy problem in Punjab. He stated that although the acts of terrorism have abated to a certain extent, the acts of sectarian terrorism have increased tremendously. He also highlighted upon various sectarian attacks across Punjab with emphasis on the recent Rawalpindi incident.
To conclude his presentation, the speaker talked about the strategies employed by Government of Pakistan and the problems associated with the same. He suggested that Pakistan is using a majority of its resources on fighting terrorism thus there should be a cost-benefit analysis so that a point of equilibrium can be achieved.
The talk was followed by a Q&A session with the audience. In the end, Syed Imad-ud-Din Asad [LL.M. (Harvard); Advocate High Court; Founding Director and Associate Professor, SLP] thanked Mr. Choudhry for taking out time from his busy schedule to share his views on the topic.
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