Counter-narratives have emerged as a vital component in global approaches to countering violent extremism. However, their thematic clarity, operational efficacy, and epistemological legitimacy continue to be under-theorized. The chapter reviews literature and evaluates theoretical potential and empirical confines, highlighting how contemporary scholarship every so often deals with counter-narratives as communication tools rather than as multifaceted socio-political practices necessitating deeper contextual grounding. Grounded in Pakistan via NAP and Paigham-e-Pakistan, it analyzes how counter-narratives are formed, used, and accepted by target population. Though these initiatives provide symbolic unity, they often lack legitimacy and dialogic depth, resulting in a top-down, securitized discourse.