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Pakistan Official Defines Challenges in Fighting Extremism
U.S. Navy photo by Javier Chagoya

Pakistan Official Defines Challenges in Fighting Extremism

By Javier Chagoya

Students of NPS' National Security Affairs, South Asia curriculum and others listen to Pakistan Defence and Army Attaché Brig. Chaudhary Sarfraz Ali of the embassy of Pakistan, describe Pakistan Army's campaign against militancy and extremism and its challenges of battling homegrown terrorism as well as securing its porous border with Afghanistan.

"Our story is tragic. The perception and realities are so different and this great deviation is so little understood," said Chaudhary of the sluggish response to the Pakistan Army's efforts to control extremism in Pakistan and how reports that reach the news have created an aberration of facts.

NSA Research Associate Evan Vander Schaaf, who works in the department's Vietnamese Foreign Area Officer Track, enjoyed Chaudhary's presentation and found it to be quite eye opening.

"Before the brigadier's presentation, the bulk of my knowledge of Pakistan's fight against terrorism was informed by western news media, which will, invariably, have its own bias. Thus, the ability to hear another perspective, and realize just how effective Pakistan has been in battling terrorism in its border regions, was very enlightening," said Vander Schaff.

Using projected slides, Chaudhary pointed to regional strategic maps, statistical data and image after image of deadly terrorist attacks made to disrupt and supplant Pakistan's economic goals. A Pakistan girl's school was recently destroyed by a bomb blast. The girls, who are now consigned to sitting among classroom rubble, take their lessons in the open despite the danger.

"I guess our slow response [to the problem of terrorist attacks in Pakistan] is mainly responsible for it [poor infrastructure and systemic economic problems] and there are some groups who have done well in making this happen," said Chaudhary of extremists and radicalized Islamists who beckon to narrow misinterpretations of Islam with its call for 7th Century values for all societies.

NPS has the largest concentration of Pakistani military officers outside of Pakistan, so it was valuable for the Defence Attaché to learn more about their education and experience at NPS, according to NSA Faculty Associate for Research Diana Wueger.

Chaudhary is in command of Pakistan's most illustrious and well-known infantry brigade, the 111th and is among Pakistan Army's highest decorated soldiers.

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July 2016

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