Ahsan Iqbal calls for resolving larger political issues

Says pointing the fingers will not help address the issue but complicate the matters

ISLAMABAD: Indirectly advising the US not to point the finger at Pakistan, the Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has called for resolving the larger political issues of the region and doing collective efforts to root out causes of radicalisation and extremism.

“The issue of radicalisation is not confined to this region alone but the youth in Europe are also joining the terrorist groups and fighting in Syria. For peace in the region there is a need to keep in mind the larger political issues as without resolving them peace is not possible,” he said on Tuesday.

“However, pointing the fingers will not help address the issue but complicate the matters. The Western world will have to fulfill its responsibility and have to show the same kind concerns for the Muslims of Kashmir, Palestine and Myanmar which they demonstrated for East Timor and South Sudan,” he added.

The interior minister was addressing a ceremony organised by the Centre for Research and Security Studies in connection with the launch of a study report on role of Madaris in Pakistan and Afghanistan.



He said the issues being faced by the region may only be solved with collective efforts and there is need to do a lot for rehabilitation and de-radicalisation of the youths. He said the international community should extend it cooperation for bringing these youths to mainstream and to equip them with skills.

Iqbal said rising of the Taliban was not only a religious matter but also a political one. “After the Taliban Al Qaida surfaced and now Da’ish has come into existence,” he added.

The interior minister said the phenomenon of Da’ish is not a byproduct of religious seminaries and educated persons who have been taught at the modern universities are becoming part of it.

He said extremism is generated as a result of discrimination and prejudiced attitude.



“This sort of treatment will generate distress amongst the people and they will choose to follow extremism when they will not get justice.  The terrorist groups are exploiting the conflicts in Muslim world to their advantage,” he said.

The interior minister said madrasas are important part of the Islamic civilisation and they produced renowned scientists of the world. He said these madrasas have produced renowned personalities in different field of sciences including physics, chemistry and Algebra.

He said madrasas were once the sole means of getting education and it was in the colonial period that the worldly education and religious education were separated.

“From 1979 their role was changed and they were used to fight against communism. During this period these seminaries were used to get workforce to do Jihad against communism,” he added.

He said in the US universities the Afghan refugees’ children were made militants for fighting  against the former USSR and after end of the war the USA  themselves took trophies for winning the war and left Pakistan alone to face the consequences.

“Basically Europe and USA are responsible for the issues which Pakistan is facing nowadays,” he added. Talking about madrasa reforms, he said the seminaries are very much interested in this process

The National Security Adviser Nasser Khan Janjua said Madrassa reforms have almost been completed and currently the government is engaged in the process to give them a legal shape.

“Wafaqul Madaris has agreed that the seminaries will follow the same syllabus which is being taught in schools and colleges,” he added.   Denmark Ambassador Rolf Holmboe appreciated the recent launch of Paigham-e-Pakistan narrative against extremism which also envisages a fatwa against terror attacks.