Non-State Violence and Ungoverned Spaces: An Analysis of the link between Political Order and Violent Extremism in FATA

Violent extremism in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan is commonly explained as a consequence of state failure and/or as a by-product of the Pashtunwali– Pashtun code of life. Pashtunwali is implicated both in providing a safe-haven for violent non-state actors after 9/11 and stopping the state from penetrating into FATA, thus making it an ungoverned space. Based on extensive fieldwork in FATA, this thesis challenges the argument of FATA as an ungoverned space and demonstrates that the state is very much present in FATA. So, this research demonstrates that Pakistan is neither a weak state, nor is FATA an ungoverned space, and this position runs counter to the dominant narratives available in the literature produced in the West on the state of Pakistan and FATA. Instead one needs to focus on national, regional and international factors to explain violent extremism in FATA, rather than using analytical categories like Pashtunwali, tribalism and Pashtuns` struggle for autonomy, etc., to explain the complex issue of violence there. Additionally, this thesis takes the position that international aid might not produce the desired result– creating a “counter-insurgent Leviathan,” – especially in insurgency and/or terrorism related issues, as there is no consensus on the definition and scope of terrorism. In terms of its distinctive academic contribution, this study adds more generally to the existing knowledge of supposedly ungoverned spaces, weak states and terrorism. It also contributes to studies on the use of sovereignty as a license to divide, control, harm, displace and misgovern citizens by states. Methodologically, the study is based on interviews with 40 people (80 % were from FATA and 20% were security officials) and numerous informal chats with tribesmen, alongside secondary data.