Ayaz for global legislative measures to address terrorism, extremism

ISLAMABAD, Nov 26 (APP): Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq Thursday called for global multi-dimensional legislative and political measures to address the challenges of terrorism and extremism.
Both terrorism and extremism posed severe threat to global peace and prosperity, but terrorism should not be associated with any religion, culture, or society, he added.
The Speaker was addressing the meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Saint Petersburg, Russia, said a press release issued by the NA Secretariat here.
He said terrorism and extremism were directly related to conflicts and disputes and called on the international community  to pay urgent attention to address festering disputes and
unresolved conflicts, aggression, foreign occupation
and denial of the right of self-determination.
He said,”Religious, racial, ethnic discrimination and
persecution and economic disparities create polarization.
Extremists use these situations to lure youth into supporting
their agenda.”
He stressed upon the international community to focus on
countering the defamation of certain religions and communitie,
especially unfair and biased portrayal of Islam and Islamic beliefs,
which was unacceptable, should not be allowed.
He said that legislative measures should be adopted to
prohibit insults to religions and to establish a clear distinction
between free speech and hate speech.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that Pakistan strongly condemned
terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Highlighting Pakistan’s role in eliminating terrorism and
extremism, he said that a comprehensive approach against this menace
was actively being pursued and consequently, legislation had been
adopted by the Parliament to facilitate the prosecution of
terrorists in the court of law.
He said the Parliament had played a vital role in
creating a consensus in society and all organs of state by adopting
and implementing a multi-dimensional National Action Plan consequent
to the barbaric attack on a school at Peshawar in 2014.
As part of the plan, Pakistan had taken measures to curb
violent extremism, including ban on hate speech, steps against
religious persecution and prevention of the use of social media for
extremism and its glorification, he added.
Reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to the fight against
terrorism, the Speaker said a law-enforcement operation against
terrorists was launched.
Pakistan, he said, was committed to intensifying
international cooperation in security, police, financial and
other aspects to curb violent extremism and eliminate terrorism
and terrorist groups and networks.
He said that Pakistan would continue to its efforts to
eliminate terrorism.