1st International Conference on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism (ICCTVE-2026)
Introduction
The School of Peace and Counter-Terrorism Studies (SPCTS), Minhaj University Lahore (MUL), in collaboration with, Forum for International Relations Development (FIRD) UK, (Pakistan Chapter), and the Punjab Center of Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism (COE-CVE) aim to organize the 1st International Conference on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism (ICCTVE-2026) scheduled on 23rd May, 2026 (Saturday) in Al-Farabi auditorium Minhaj University Lahore.
Purpose
Pakistan’s security landscape has undergone a profound transformation over the past decade. The nature of violence has shifted from predominantly kinetic insurgency and conventional terrorism to a more complex and fluid spectrum of hybrid threats—where armed militancy intersects with cyber operations, disinformation campaigns, proxy warfare, ideological mobilization, and transnational networks. This hybridization of conflict has blurred traditional distinctions between war and peace, internal and external security challenges, and state and non-state actors. Recent developments—including the resurgence of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), separatist violence linked to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), and the regional reverberations following political changes in Afghanistan, highlight the evolving and interconnected dimensions of terrorism and violent extremism in Pakistan.
The ICCTVE-2026 is conceived within this evolving security landscape and seeks to provide a high-level intellectual and policy platform that bridges rigorous academic scholarship with practical policymaking. By bringing together academics, security practitioners, policymakers, civil society representatives, and international experts, the ICTVE-2026 aims to critically reassess Pakistan’s counterterrorism paradigm in light of the contemporary hybrid conflict dynamics. The conference themes reflect this imperative. The focus on Hybrid Warfare and Terrorism in Pakistan underscores the need to understand multi-domain conflict and to translate academic insight into policy innovation. Examining the Dynamics of Hybrid Threats and Counterterrorism encourages a multidimensional analysis of operational, ideological, institutional, and regional dimensions shaping Pakistan’s comprehensive security environment.
The Sub-Themes to Further Reinforce the Rationale:
Mapping Pakistan’s Hybrid Threat Landscape: The Emerging Trends.
From Tactical Responses to Strategic Prevention: Pathways towards Sustainable Peace.
Community-Based Approaches to De-radicalization and Reintegration in Pakistan.
Regional Security Complexes and the Persistence of Radicalization and Violent Extremism.
Expected Outcomes
Thus, the key question that the ICCTVE-2026 seeks to inquire is how we might address the prevailing gridlock to thwart further devastation and suffering to the state, society, and law enforcement institutions (LEIs)? The conference particularly aspires to identify and highlight underlying security dynamics and challenges by thoroughly disaggregating the material and non-material dimensions of the Terrorism and Violent Extremism spectrum based on in-depth analyses, thereby offering stakeholders a viable pathway out of this quagmire.
Dynamics of Hybrid Threats and Counter-Terrorism in Pakistan: Challenges, Responses, and Pathways beyond Stalemate
