Dr. Adnan Rafiq

country director of USIP for Pakistan

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Dr. Adnan Rafiq is country director of USIP for Pakistan. He completed an MPhil at Cambridge and then a PhD in Politics at Oxford. He worked with the Ministry of Interior on Pakistan's National Internal Security Policy.

Early life and background

Rafiq belongs to Abbottabad and attended a school there. He had typhoid and spent a month in bed. His mother brought him stories and magazines to read. He regards the time when his interest in reading all kinds of books began as a turning point. He describes himself as an urban and global citizen. [1]

Education

Rafiq started his first degree, in information technology, at Birmingham. He became more interested in organisational culture and politics than in programming and hardware, and he came to see technology as a tool. His interests moved from organisational change to culture, politics and social change. [1]

He did an MPhil at Cambridge and then a PhD at Oxford. His MPhil at Cambridge was titled Innovation, Strategy and Organizations. The thesis dealt with social change and asked what drives people to act against society's expectations. [1]

Rafiq spent five to six years on his PhD and completed it in 2017. The degree is in Politics. His case study examined the Pakistan Supreme Court from 1999 to 2013. [1]

Career

Rafiq worked in the corporate sector for about two and a half years. He began to find the corporate work repetitive and without meaning. The sense that his work lacked meaning led him back to university for advanced study. [1]

While a PhD student, he began consulting for various organisations. He helped start an organisation at Oxford aimed at O and A level students. After returning to Pakistan, he began consulting for several organisations. [1]

National Internal Security Policy

Rafiq worked with the Ministry of Interior on Pakistan's National Internal Security Policy. He says a comprehensive policy was felt to be needed, one that would first diagnose the problem. He has said the policy took about ten months of wide consultations. He has said it was finalised, approved by the cabinet, and remains Pakistan's strategic internal security document. He says the APS attack marked the turning point that led to the National Action Plan. [1]

Publications

Rafiq co-authored a book with Ishtiaq Ahmad. [1]

Views

Rafiq says Pakistan's worst period was between 2008 and 2014, and that terrorism in Pakistan peaked up to 2014. He says there has been considerable improvement since 2014. He says the number of people killed in terrorist incidents has gone down. [1]

He says the part he found especially troubling was the involvement of educated youth. He believes Pakistan has not solved the structural causes that feed terrorism and extremism. He believes the conditions that could bring the problem back are still present. [1]

Rafiq says intolerance is rising in society and that society's capacity to tolerate differing opinion has declined. He says intolerance leads to polarisation and conflict. He says social attitudes need to improve so that people can tolerate disagreement. [1]

He says identities can be based on language, religion or class. He says the underlying problem is often class difference, and that people can be mobilised on the basis of language. He says that when inequality grows, grievances grow and can take a violent form. [1]

Rafiq says no society can function without justice. He says Pakistan's judicial system needs substantial improvement. He says that in the lower courts, witnesses, litigants and lawyers can be hired. He says it is the state's job to provide mechanisms through which disputes can be resolved. [1]

He says Pakistan's policymaking has been confined to a small elite. He says Pakistan's national vision was to secure the interests of a limited class. He says Pakistan adopted neither capitalism nor socialism properly. [1]

Rafiq says Pakistan's civil society was very weak. He says the civil and military bureaucracies filled a power vacuum. He says Pakistan has no shared consensus on growing the economic pie. [1]

On technology, Rafiq says he personally enjoys TikTok. When he visits a new country, he watches TikTok first to learn its actual culture. He argues TikTok does not spoil culture but shows people the culture they had ignored. He says digital access has not democratised information, because a large digital divide remains. He says access to information has reached the expanded middle class, around 10 to 15 percent of the population. [1]

He says beliefs are shaped by material reality, not only by ideas. He says development in Pakistan is concentrated in a few urban centres. He gives Punjab as an example and says it is now more than 75 percent urban. He says the education system teaches students that a lesson is something to be memorised. [1]

Timeline

2017
Completed his PhD in Politics[1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2021-05-07 Peace, Polarization, and Pakistan's Turning Point: A Conversation with Dr. Adnan Rafiq Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Who is Dr. Adnan Rafiq?

Dr. Adnan Rafiq is country director of USIP for Pakistan. He completed an MPhil at Cambridge and a PhD in Politics at Oxford. He also worked with the Ministry of Interior on Pakistan's National Internal Security Policy.[1]

What does Dr. Adnan Rafiq do?

Dr. Adnan Rafiq is country director of USIP for Pakistan. He has also worked as a consultant for various organisations.[1]

Where did Dr. Adnan Rafiq study?

Rafiq started his first degree, in information technology, at Birmingham. He did an MPhil at Cambridge and then a PhD at Oxford. His PhD is in Politics and was completed in 2017.[1]

Where is Dr. Adnan Rafiq from?

Dr. Adnan Rafiq belongs to Abbottabad, where he attended school. He describes himself as an urban and global citizen.[1]

What is Dr. Adnan Rafiq known for?

Dr. Adnan Rafiq is known for working with the Ministry of Interior on Pakistan's National Internal Security Policy. He has said the policy was approved by the cabinet and remains Pakistan's strategic internal security document. He also co-authored a book with Ishtiaq Ahmad.[1]

What did Dr. Adnan Rafiq's PhD examine?

Rafiq's PhD is in Politics and was completed in 2017. His case study examined the Pakistan Supreme Court from 1999 to 2013.[1]

What is Dr. Adnan Rafiq's view on terrorism in Pakistan?

Rafiq says terrorism in Pakistan peaked up to 2014 and that there has been considerable improvement since. He believes Pakistan has not solved the structural causes that feed terrorism and extremism. He believes the conditions that could bring the problem back are still present.[1]

References

  1. Peace, Polarization, and Pakistan's Turning Point: A Conversation with Dr. Adnan Rafiq . Thought Behind Things , 2021-05-07.
Show the source passages (63 statements)
  1. He started his first degree, in information technology, at Birmingham. Ye jo meri first degree thi Birmingham mein, I started as an uh information technology undergrad.
  2. He became more interested in organisational culture and politics than in programming and hardware. So rather than programming, coding and hardware technology, I got more interested in organizational culture, organizational politics.
  3. He came to see technology as a tool. Tab mujhe pata chala ke technology is is is a tool.
  4. His interests moved from organisational change to culture, politics and social change. jo ke organizational change aur culture aur politics se leke phir social change aur social culture aur politics ki taraf gaya.
  5. He did an MPhil at Cambridge and then a PhD at Oxford. Cambridge mein maine MPhil kiya aur mass uh PhD phir Oxford uh mein.
  6. His MPhil at Cambridge was titled Innovation, Strategy and Organizations. uska title to Innovation, Strategy and Organizations tha
  7. His MPhil thesis dealt with social change. jo mera thesis tha woh basically social change ke hawaley se tha
  8. His MPhil thesis asked what drives people to act against society's expectations. Lekin woh kya muharrakat hain jo kisi bhi insaan ko ek jo societal expectations hoti hain, jo tawaqqaat hoti hain muashre ki unse, uske khilaf karne pe majboor ya qail kar dete hain.
  9. He spent five to six years on his PhD. PhD bhi meri koi paanch se che saal I spent on on PhD itself.
  10. He completed his PhD in 2017. To ye 2017 mein uh jaake complete hui.
  11. His PhD is in Politics. PhD ka jo title of official hai meri degree ka woh PhD in Politics hai.
  12. His PhD case study examined the Pakistan Supreme Court from 1999 to 2013. usmein Pakistan Supreme Court ki maine case study li. Specially 1999 se leke 2013 ka jo time period hai.
  13. He worked in the corporate sector for about two and a half years. maine industry mein do dhai saal corporate sector mein kaam kiya
  14. He began to find the corporate work repetitive and without meaning. Lekin kuch saal, sawa saal, dedh saal baad lagne laga ke ye to cheezein repeat ho rahi hain, repetitive hain aur ismein meaning nahi hai.
  15. The sense that his work lacked meaning led him back to university for advanced study. To then that prompted me ke wapis university mein jaya jaye, advanced level pe uh in cheezon ko samjha jaye
  16. While a PhD student, he began consulting for various organisations. maine consulting bhi shuru ki uh as a PhD student hi
  17. He helped start an organisation at Oxford aimed at O and A level students. Ek humne idara shuru kiya uh Oxford mein jiska maqsad ye tha ke O A levels ke jo students hain
  18. He worked with the Ministry of Interior on Pakistan's National Internal Security Policy. Ministry of Interior uh ke sath maine kaam kiya jismein mujhe uh task diya gaya ke Pakistan ki National Internal Security Policy banani hai.
  19. After returning to Pakistan, he began consulting for several organisations. Main jab Pakistan wapis aaya to maine consulting shuru ki mukhtalif idaron ke sath.
  20. He has said the policy took about ten months of wide consultations. koi uh takreeban 10 mahine humein lage wide based consultations karke
  21. He has said the policy was finalised, approved by the cabinet, and remains Pakistan's strategic internal security document. ye finalize hui phir cabinet se manzoor hui aur as we speak this remains the uh strategic National Internal Security document of Pakistan.
  22. He says a comprehensive policy was felt to be needed, one that would first diagnose the problem. ek comprehensive policy ki zaroorat feel hui jo ke sabse pehle diagnose kare
  23. He says the APS attack marked the turning point that led to the National Action Plan. phir uh November December mein jaake APS attack hota hai and that marks the turning point jiske baad National Action Plan banta hai.
  24. He belongs to Abbottabad and attended a school there. Abbottabad se belong karta hoon, wahan pe uh Burn Hall hamara ek uh Bilkul bada mashhoor school hai. ek ek ek school hai wahan pe main padhta tha.
  25. He had typhoid and spent a month in bed. mujhe typhoid ho gaya. Acha. I had this severe illness aur for one month woh main bistar pe raha.
  26. His mother brought him stories and magazines to read. meri walida ne na mujhe kuch uh kahaniyan aur ye risale aur ye la diye
  27. He regards the time when his interest in reading all kinds of books began as a turning point. Ye main samajhta hoon was the turning point jab mera interest paida hua ke main har tarah ki kitabein padhoon.
  28. He describes himself as an urban and global citizen. I mean I am an urban citizen, a global citizen.
  29. He says he personally enjoys TikTok. Nahi main personally toh main bada enjoy karta hoon TikTok
  30. When he visits a new country, he watches TikTok first to learn its actual culture. wahan main sabse pehle TikTok dekhta hoon unka ki pata lage ki yaar actual culture kya hai
  31. He argues TikTok does not spoil culture but shows people the culture they had ignored. bhaiya TikTok culture nahi kharab kar raha, TikTok aapko dikha raha hai culture hai kya pehli dafa zindagi mein.
  32. He says beliefs are shaped by material reality, not only by ideas. sirf ideas se hum hamare beliefs aur hamare yaqeen nahi bante. Right. Woh bante hain hamari material reality se bhi.
  33. He says development in Pakistan is concentrated in a few urban centres. hamari development concentrated hai chand urban aur urban ke andar bhi chand makhsoos centers mein.
  34. He says the education system teaches students that a lesson is something to be memorised. Uske bajaye hamara taleemi nizam humein yeh sikhata hai ki yeh ek sabak hai, yeh ek mazmoon hai, yeh aapne yaad kar lena hai
  35. He says digital access has not democratised information, because a large digital divide remains. Lekin democratize mein isko nahi kahunga kyunki abhi bhi bahut badi digital divide maujood hai.
  36. He says access to information has reached the expanded middle class, around 10 to 15 percent of the population. 10-15 percent jo hamari expanded middle class hai, us tak toh yeh pahunch gaya hai access aur information
  37. He gives Punjab as an example and says it is now more than 75 percent urban. اب پنجاب فار ایگزامپل 75 پرسنٹ سے زیادہ اربن ہے
  38. He says Pakistan's worst period was between 2008 and 2014. Pakistan ka jo worst period tha 2008 se leke 2014 ke darmiyan tha.
  39. He says there has been considerable improvement since 2014. 2014 ke baad se kaafi improvement aayi hai.
  40. He says the number of people killed in terrorist incidents has gone down. number of people jin jo wafat paate hain, shaheed hote hain, dehshatgardi ki karwaiyon se, unka number neeche gaya hai.
  41. He says terrorism in Pakistan peaked up to 2014. 2014 tak jo terrorism tha, woh peak pe tha Pakistan mein.
  42. He says the part he found especially troubling was the involvement of educated youth. Us mein phir jo youth ki involvement thi aur us mein troubling part mere liye khaas tor pe ye tha ke educated youth.
  43. He believes Pakistan has not solved the structural causes that feed terrorism and extremism. Lekin kya humne woh structural ya bunyadi masail jo dehshatgardi ko, inteha pasandi ko janam dete hain, kya humne woh bhi hal kar diye hain? Mere khayal mein iska jawab nafi mein hai.
  44. He believes the conditions that could bring the problem back are still present. Lekin main samajhta hoon ki abhi bhi woh halaat maujood hain ki jinki jinki wajah se yeh yeh masla dobara sar utha sakta hai.
  45. He says intolerance is rising in society. jo hamare muashre mein ek tarah se intolerance badh rahi hai
  46. He says society's capacity to tolerate differing opinion has declined. ya hamara jo hosla hai ikhtilaf-e-raye ko bardasht karne ka woh neeche aaya hai.
  47. He says intolerance leads to polarisation and conflict. Phir polarization hogi, phir woh aapas mein ladai ki taraf aap jayenge toh usse muashre mein inteshar phelega.
  48. He says social attitudes need to improve so that people can tolerate disagreement. unko behtar banane ki zaroorat hai taaki hum ikhtilaf-e-raye bardasht kar sakein
  49. He says identities can be based on language, religion or class. Woh identities lisani bunyadon pe bhi ho sakti hain, mazhabi bunyadon pe bhi hoti hain, ameer ghareeb yani tabqati bunyadon pe bhi hoti hai.
  50. He says the underlying problem is often class difference, and that people can be mobilised on the basis of language. unko lisani bunyadon pe mobilize kiya ja sakta hai. Halanki kayi dafa jo underlying masla hai woh tabqati farq ka hai.
  51. He says that when inequality grows, grievances grow and can take a violent form. Toh agar woh nahi hoga aur woh farq badhta jayega toh grievance badhti jayegi, shikayat badhti jayengi. Woh grievances phir kayi dafa bahut bhayanak shakal leke manifest hoti hain.
  52. He says no society can function without justice. Kyunki uh justice ke baghair koi bhi muashra function nahi kar sakta.
  53. He says Pakistan's judicial system needs substantial improvement. hamara jo judicial system hai woh badi had tak um usmein improvement ki zaroorat hai
  54. He says that in the lower courts, witnesses, litigants and lawyers can be hired. Yani ke aap gawah jo hain woh hire kar lein, aap litigant hire kar lein, wakeel hire kar lein.
  55. He says it is the state's job to provide mechanisms through which disputes can be resolved. To state ka ye kaam hota hai uh ke woh mechanisms provide kare jiske tehat hum apne jo mamlaat hain unko uh uske through resolve kar sakein.
  56. He says Pakistan's policymaking has been confined to a small elite. hamari jo policy making rahi hai throughout woh bahut mehdood rahi hai ek bahut chhote se elite tabqe ke andar.
  57. He says Pakistan's national vision was to secure the interests of a limited class. ہمارا متمائے نظر ایک محدود طبقے کے اپنے مفادات کو یقینی بنانا تھا۔
  58. He says Pakistan adopted neither capitalism nor socialism properly. ہم نے تو نہ کیپیٹلسٹ سسٹم ٹھیک سے اڈاپٹ کیا اور نہ سوشلسٹ سسٹم
  59. He says Pakistan's civil society was very weak. ہماری سول سوسائٹی بہت ویک تھی۔
  60. He says the civil and military bureaucracies filled a power vacuum. جس کا نتیجہ یہ ہوا کہ ہماری سویلین اور ملٹری بیوروکریسی نے آوبیسلی وین دیئر از آ ویکیوم تو انہوں نے اس پاور پہ کر لیا۔
  61. He says Pakistan has no shared consensus on growing the economic pie. ابھی تک ہمارا اکنامک کنسنسس یہ نہیں ہے کہ ہم نے جو اکنامک پائی ہے اس کو بڑا کرنا ہے۔
  62. Dr. Adnan Rafique is country director for USIP for Pakistan. In conversation with Dr. Adnan Rafique, country director for USIP for Pakistan
  63. He co-authored a book with Ishtiaq Ahmad. book by Adnan Rafiq, Ishtiaq Ahmad