ISLAMABAD, Jul 11 (APP):National Youth Conference started
here Wednesday with an objective to engage students and faculty
members from prominent universities and madaris for devising a Pakistan
specific national strategy for countering on-campus religious extremism.
National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) has
arranged the two-day Conference entitled ‘Countering Violent Extremism
on Campuses’ which will be vital for strategizing a coordination
framework within which universities, Higher Education Commission (HEC),
and civil society may work in tandem to eradicate extremism on
university campuses through programmes that promote exclusivity
and peaceful coexistence.
At an inaugural session, National Coordinator NACTA,
Dr. Muhammad Suleman Khan said the Authority has already
launched a Youth Engagement Programme (YEP) and adopted much
more vigorous approach to prevent youth from falling to
violent extremism.
He said the central and core principle of youth engagement
strategy of NACTA revolves around preventing violent extremism.
The Authority also planned short and long-term strategy
and in first phase of short-term programme, 46 universities
both public and private across the country have been identified.
Dr. Suleman said Pakistan’s youth, who in number are 62
per cent of total population will have to come forward
against the ongoing war on terror by engaging themselves in
positive activities, eliminating hate and extremist culture from
society, especially from amongst students of universities and madaris.
He said the Conference will be followed by
deliberations with relevant stakeholders and experts for
formulating policy recommendations and devising practical
action plans for their implementation.
The first day of the Conference ended upon disbursing
of participants into ten Thematic Group Discussions to compile
recommendations on Day second for final suggestions and
guidelines to devise a comprehensive policy against violent
extremism in our educational institutions.
Around 200 participants from all over Pakistan are attending
the Conference, amongst them are Vice Chancellors, Faculty
Members, Students Senior Office holders of various educational
and vocational institutes including some of prominent Madaris
students and faculty members of more than 25 universities.
Dr. Suleman Khan also condemned terror attack at Peshawar
where innocent civilians were exercising their basic right of
choosing democratic government of their own choice.
“It was a coward act of a fistful extremist persons
filled with hatred and vicious agenda, it is that evil mindset
against which we all have gathered here today,” he said.