Understanding the Appeal of the Taliban in Pakistan
The past six years, since 2004, have witnessed a significant rise in incidents of terrorism in Pakistan. The writ of the state has been directly challenged by the rise of many extremist, militant groups, who have transmigrated from Pakistan's tribal areas. These groups have assumed control of large areas in Pakistan, like Swat in Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa, still popularly known as the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). The momentum of this extremism is marked by an unprecedented alacrity, organizational capability, and impunity to engage the state militarily. Scholarship has not kept pace with terrorism, and is in a nascent stage in Pakistan, with little understanding and research among researchers, analysts, and policymakers into the drivers of extremism. Among the possible factors giving rise to terrorism in Pakistan, poverty and poor social indicators figure prominently.