Our next target is to eradicate extremism, says governor

LAHORE, Nov 07 (APP):Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar has said that the government’s next target is eradication of extremism in the country after it successfully curbed terrorism.

Addressing senior civil officers at the closing ceremony of ‘Strategic Communication and Media Engagement in Crisis Situation’ at the National School of Public Policy (NSPP) here on Thursday, he said through the government had managed to bring peace and stability in the country through the collective efforts of the people, law enforcement agencies and the armed forces but the menace of extremism still loomed large over our heads.

“If extremism grows in a society, the nation eventually fails,” he said, adding the government had defeated terrorism and the day was not far away when peace would be restored in the country while the only obstacle was the extremism mindset.

Governor Ch Sarwar said the government was committed to changing the mindset of those who desire to bring about change through violence.

He said the rise of extremism in India was being noticed by the international community, adding that recently German Chancellor Angela Merkel had raised human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, adding it was very rare during state visits.

He said today all minorities including the Muslims, Bhuddists and Christians and Sikhs were under attack at the nads of the extremist Hindus.

He said the extremist elements infect the minds of the innocent people and mislead them towards violence and criminal behavior, adding the government of Pakistan has done a lot to counter such malicious narratives.

He said the extremist narratives have been effectively countered by the Paigham e Pakistan (Message of Pakistan) and the root causes of terrorism and extremism have been decimated through the National Action Plan (NAP).

Ch Sarwar said eradication of extremism could only be possible through media literacy and civil servants must ensure that the miscreants don’t succeed in misleading the public through deceit and rumours.

Later, Governor Punjab Chaudhry Muhamamd Sarwar gave away certificates among the participants of the workshop. The Dean NSPP Dr Shujat Ali Khan was also present on the occasion.