State's writ cannot be established sans tackling extremism: Fawad
Fawad Chaudhry said a state was bound to ensure implementation of laws to assert its authority.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Thursday said that the writ of the state could not be established in a society without effectively tackling extremism and ensuring supremacy of law and the Constitution, Dunya News reported.
Addressing the launching ceremony of "Charter of Peace", organized by Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies, he said a state was bound to ensure implementation of laws to assert its authority, if certain groups challenged or violated the laws of the land.
During the British rule in Indian subcontinent, he said the British government had established an effective law enforcement system, but unfortunately after its independence, the successive governments neither practiced it nor gave any alternative system to ensure writ of the state. "We saw destruction of many countries 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 threats from within. However, the government and state were ready to combat the menace of extremism.
The minister said Islam always advocated tolerance and peaceful coexistence in the society. As a true follower of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), a Muslim could never be an extremist, he said, adding soft change was not possible without promoting congenial atmosphere in a society.
Islam preaches to adopt a balanced approach, he said, adding that the scholars could better interpret Islamic teachings and guidelines on different issues.
Recalling the past, he said the country s eminent religious scholar Maulana Hassan Jan was martyred on charges of issuing a religious decree declaring suicide attacks un-Islamic.
Everyone had the right to present his point of view and ideas, however imposing one s views was inappropriate, 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 used to hold negotiations with certain outlaw groups as compared to prime minister or foreign minister. Failure in establishing writ of the state endangered existence of a country, he added.
Fawad said over 300 years history of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa showed there was not even an iota of extremism in those areas. The area in which Pakistan is situated right now was the area inhabited by Sufis, 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 the past, some of teachers recruited by the successive governments in various schools and colleges of the country were instrumental in fomenting extremism.
