ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal presided over a meeting at Higher Education Commission on the implementation of National Action Plan on Monday.
Seventy vice chancellors participated in the meeting through live video conference.
In the meeting, the minister said, “It is a matter of deep concern for us that students of universities are found to be affiliated with the extremist organisations.”
On the role of social media and its impact on youth, he said, “Our youth are oriented towards social media. After the information revolution, the battle of ideologies is underway at social media. It is our duty to undertake collective efforts to prevent our youth from the accessibility of the material based on extremist ideologies. We have to ensure that our youth use social media only for educational and healthy activities.” He said, “We have to formulate a national narrative to counter the extremist agenda.” In this connection, he said, the youth must be imparted with the importance of peace enjoined by Islamic injunctions and vision of Pakistan.
The minister also said, ‘The government was devising a curriculum for the Friday sermons that are mainly based on educating our citizens about practical life in the light of Quran and hadith.”
On the importance of participation in student politics, he said that the students must be given opportunities to express their thoughts. The faculty in the universities must play their due role in the construction of thought and ideology among students.
The minister also asserted that the students must be provisioned with the forum to hone their leadership qualities. In every university, career counselling mechanism must be formed to evaluate the potential of students for better avenues in future. The students must be enjoined to tolerate the difference of opinion of their peers and the society.
Talking on the upcoming International Peace Day on September 21, he emphasized to celebrate it with fervour in all universities of Pakistan. He said, “The day must be marked in every university with the resolve to spread the message of peace among our youth and apprise them with the counter narrative against extremism.”
Published in Daily Times, September 19th 2017.
