SECURITIZATION AND COUNTER-SECURITIZATION OF MILITANCY IN PAKISTAN AFTER 9/11

Abstract

The article attempts to explore the securitization of militancy of General Pervez Musharraf government (1999-2008) after the US War on Terror in Pakistan. This article addresses the fundamental question whether Musharraf government succeeded to securitize militancy and whether the audience (public) accepted militancy as a threat or not? We argue that the audience did not accept the threat as such and the issue was counter-securitized. We analyse the speeches of different leaders of the political and religious parties where they through speech acts counter-securitized the issue of militancy. The study contributes to the theoretical discussion on securitisation and counter-securitization using the model in Pakistan. The study contributes to the empirical literature by analysing militancy in Pakistan after 9/11 in the light of securitization framework.