ISLAMABAD - Advisor to PM on Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira said that Pakistan needs clarity and consensus on its narrative against violent extremism and all key stakeholders of the state need to show political resolve to develop comprehensive response against this menace. The senior PPP leader made these remarks at a roundtable consultation on the ‘Resurgence of Violent Extremism in Pakistan’ organized by Communications Research Strategies (CRS) in collaboration with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) on Thursday at a local hotel in Islamabad. He drew heavily on the past experience 2008-2013, a time when Pakistan successfully countered violent extremism. The meeting also featured senior security experts, journalists, and academics, including former Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Major General Athar Abbas, Major General Ejaz Awan, senior academic and Member of Planning Commission Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmad, and senior journalists Mehmood Jan Babar and Iftikhar Firdous. The participants expressed concern about the resurgence of militancy in the country and offered solutions towards reducing the impact of militant narratives among the public. Participants of the consultation also noted that militant groups are increasingly resorting to the use of latest communication technologies through digital media to further their propaganda, which is difficult to control and monitor. Major General Athar Abbas was of the view that political stability is integral to ensure a decline in terrorism and extremism. Mehmood Jan Babar added that the militants are trying to use political and local grievances to win the hearts of the people, but it can be observed that they are failing in doing so as the public has rejected them. Iftikhar Firdous said that the public has strongly opposed the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and does not wish to provide them any kind of legitimacy, which is very evident by the large public protests in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The aim of the roundtable discussion was to map discourse of violent extremist groups and assess the security challenges of the country. The CRS is working in the field of social behavioral change communication. It has a stellar record of nearly two decades of work in strategic communications, research and media awareness on countering extremism.