Socio-economic and Political Determinants of Terrorism in Pakistan: University Students' Perceptions

Pakistan is experiencing a youth bulge with more than half of its population under the age of 30 years. Economic, political and security challenges, however, prevent the nation from fully utilizing its demographic advantage. Over the last decade, terrorism has become a major security issue. This article is based on primary research of Pakistani university students' views on terrorism and related challenges. Its results reveal that the youth is concerned about the domestic triggers of terrorism and students' place of origin impact upon experiences of terrorism. Moreover, while just under two-thirds of respondents from federally administered tribal areas (FATA) said they had been directly affected by terrorism, less than one-third of Punjabis provided the same response.