The Psycho-Social Consequences of Terrorism on Community Resilience in the Swat Valley

Abstract

Swat has been under direct militant control for over a decade. Despite its beautiful landscape and breathtaking view, terrorism has destroyed the entire essence of its location. Terrorism has never been for positive changes, rather it only contributes to instilling fear, lack of hope, dependence and destruction. This destruction can be in every aspect. It may be social, political, economic, environmental and specifically, psychological. Even after counter-terrorism operations like Operation Rah-e-Rast, TTP could not be contained. 2022 was the year of militant re-insurgency in Swat. While addressing the kinetic approaches to deal with the contradiction between the Pakistani Government and TTP, it is also very important to focus more on a streamlined issue that needs major attention and focus; the psycho-social impact of terrorism on the victims living in Swat. The post-conflict steps need revision and demand extra attention to unify, reconstruct material and rebuild the trust, motivation and mental health of the community. The residents faced a lot of pressure: families dispersed, victims lost their lives, school bans, extremist law enforcement. Overall, the entire fabric of a good healthy life has been taken away from them. To bring them out of their Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD, revision of policies and implementation is necessary,