ISLAMABAD, Nov 18 (APP): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Thursday said the writ of the state could not be established in a society without effective tackling of the menace of extremism and ensuring supremacy of law and the Constitution.
Addressing the launching ceremony of “Charter of Peace”, organized by Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies (PIPS), he said a state was considered bound to ensure implementation of laws to assert its authority, if certain groups challenged and violated the laws of the land.
During the Britain rule in Indian subcontinent, he said the British government had established an effective law enforcement system, but unfortunately after its partition, the successive governments neither practiced it nor gave any alternative system to ensure writ of the state. “We saw destruction of many counties caused by the tendencies of extremism,” he added.
He said Pakistan, being a nuclear power and sixth largest military force in the world, faced no potential threat from its arch rival India, but the country faced the threats from within. However, the government and state was ready to combat the menace of extremism.
The minister said Islam always advocated for tolerance and peaceful coexistence in the society as a true follower of the holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) could never be an extremist. Soft change was not possible without promoting congenial atmosphere in a society, he added.
Islam preached to adopt balanced approach, he said adding that the scholars could better interpret Islamic teachings and guidelines on different issues.
Recalling past, he said the country’s eminent religious scholar Maulana Hassan Jan was martyred on the charges of issuing a religious decree declaring suicide attacks un Islamic.
Everyone had the right to present his view point and ideas however imposing one’s views were not appropriate, he said, adding the main pillars of British India’s law enforcement system were ‘Chokidar,Lumberdar and Thanidar’.
He said history of the country showed that Thanidar was used to hold negotiations with certain outlaw groups as comparing to Prime Minister or Foreign Minister.
Failure in establishing writ of the state endangered existence of a country. He said over 300 years’ history of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had shown that there was not even an iota of extremism in these areas. The areas in which Pakistan is situated right now was the areas inhabited by religious Sufis and shrines, he added.
He said religious seminaries were not instrumental in promoting extremism, but the country was pushed to that menace due to political reasons.
The minister said in past, the teachers were recruited by the successive governments in various schools and colleges of the country. The same teachers were instrumental in fomenting extremism, he added.
