Two-day workshop: Experts draw up national narrative proposals

NACTA is expected to tweak recommendations in consultation with moderators

ISLAMABAD: A raft of proposals were presented on various aspects of the national narrative to the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) during a two-day workshop attended by eight thematic groups

The workshop was organised by Nacta between January 14 and January 15.

The anti-terror body had invited eminent personalities and 53 participants from Lahore, Multan, Karachi, Peshawar and Islamabad to the workshop. Senators, constitutional law experts, civil servants, religious scholars, academics, economists and social scientists were among the participants.

According to a statement, Nacta divided the participants into eight groups and assigned themes according to their expertise.

The themes of the workshop were: Encountering the misconstructed religious belief and creating inter-faith harmony and tolerance; politics and political systems; implementation of law and creating the writ of the state; trust development among state institutions;  socio-cultural values and customs; regular and social media; economic policies and review by national development and political economists and reconciliation with extremists and their rehabilitation (National Reforms and Reconciliation).

After a series of sittings, these groups shared their input.

In the closing session on Sunday, moderators of each group presented their recommendations.

Moderators, who spoke for their respective groups, were: Dr Ziaul Haq of the Islamic Research Institute, a former IG of Police Tariq Khosa, secretary Punjab government Farhan Aziz Khawaja, Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy of the Quaid-i-Azam University, Abdullah Khan, Muhammad Usman Khan of the Pakistan Peace Collective, Raja Naeem Akbar represented Barrister Zafarullah from the ministry of law.

Nacta’s national coordinator Ihsan Ghani wrapped up the discussion and outlined the course of action in the development of a national narrative.

Nacta will consolidate these proposals in consultation with moderators again to create a seamless document called the ‘National Narrative’.

Nacta would then put this document before the federal government for adoption as a policy along with an implementation plan.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2017.