Pakistan needs to promote pluralism to curb extremism

ISLAMABAD: Sustainable Development Policy Institute's (SDPI) International Conference on “Citizens Roundtable Charting Pathways for Pluralism” unanimously presented recommendations to counter extremism, ensure minority rights, inter-faith harmony and women empowerment here Friday.

Speaking on the occasion, Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change Romina Khursheed Alam presented her recommendations formulated after the three day comprehensive and critical sessions of the conference.

She said Pakistani society was a plural society and the constitution gave rights to all segments of the society.

She suggested that the governance should be people centric so that it benefits a larger population.

On the issue of minorities rights, she categorically said the Gojra incident report should be implemented to protect minority rights.

Romina said religious leaders and clerics should be trained to promote gender sensitivity and inter-faith harmony, adding, they should create awareness among the masses on issues regarding domestic violence, citizen rights and other pressing social issues.

She was of the view that all the political leaders should promote Paigham-e-Pakistan as the country’s counter narrative to overcome the menace of extremism and also discourage incidents of sectarian and extremist violence.

She also emphasized that teachers training should be increased so that teachers keep focus on issues that promote harmony and unity.

She said media’s role was necessary for inter-faith harmony and it should be trained to play its role for this national and humanitarian cause.

Dialogue, she said, should be initiated at different levels, involving religious scholars, all stake holders and law enforcement agencies to develop a common narrative on the issues of social, political and national cause. She said August 11 should be celebrated as “Minority Day”.

National Coordinator National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), Ihsan Ghani said the nation had to pursue pluralism which was a dominant feature of the sub continent.

He said Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H)’s last address of Hajj and Quaid-e-Azam’s speech of August 11, 1947 should be the epitome of a pluralistic society.

He said the National Action Plan (NAP) had all the provisions that define Pakistani society as pluralistic one.

NACTA, he said, had devised counter terrorism strategies and citizens-media engagement initiatives to decisively fight against extremism and other violent issues.

He added that ‘Chaukas App’ by NACTA was one of the constructive efforts to curb extremism, hate speech and violence in the society.

Ambassador of the European Union, Jean-Francois Cautain appreciated the recommendations made during the conference.

He said these recommendations should be made part of manifestos of major political parties and these should be essence of all laws.

He said Islam was the religion of peace and friendship which should be inculcated in the very social system to surmount all conflicts and crisis, adding the conference was a big step to achieve these goals.

Executive Director SDPI, Abid Qayium Suleri said that all the recommendations were formulated at a critical juncture as the upcoming general elections were drawing near so that all political parties could include them in their manifestos.

He said the conference had provided a platform to scholars and experts of different countries and faiths to discuss various issues and offer solutions to resolve problems of sectarianism, extremism and intolerance.