ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal expressed his apprehension over the joining of extremist militant groups by a number of educated youths, saying that steps should be taken to rein in extremist tendencies among universities’ students.
The minister said this while presiding over a meeting, regarding the implementation of National Action Plan (NAP), held at Higher Education Commission (HEC) here on Monday. A total of 80 Vice Chancellors (VC) of universities from across the country participated in the meeting.
The VCs of the universities from the twin cities directly participated in the meeting while the VCs of the universities from across the country participated in the meeting through video links.
The minister dubbed the social media as ‘youth media’ and urged the need to make sure that the youth used the medium purposefully. He added that it was a collective responsibility to play a part to keep the youth at bay from materials which could radicalise the students.
He went on to say that they have to play a joint role to give a new narrative to counter the tendencies of extremism among the youth. He advised that the importance of peace, in the light of Islam and vision of Pakistan, should be highlighted to the students.
“We are making a syllabus for Jumma sermon so that the public could be given awareness regarding common public issues,” he said, adding that the students should be given opportunities to express their views in the universities independently and teachers should play their role for students’ ideological training.
Besides extra curriculum activities, the students should be provided with platforms to hone their leadership skills, said the interior minister. He added that the culture of tolerance should be promoted in the country with a focus to tolerate each other’s difference of opinion.
He suggested that September 21 should be observed as ‘Peace Day’ in the universities with a purpose to spread the message of harmony among the youth.