'Culture, dialogue key to countering extremism'

The University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) has established an Intercultural Harmony Club and constituted a Unity Council to promote inter-provincial harmony, cross-cultural understanding and dialogue among students from different regions of Pakistan.

The initiative seeks to address the roots of extremism, discourage intolerant and rigid thinking and provide students with a platform to understand, accept and appreciate the country's diverse cultures, languages and traditions.

According to sources familiar with the development, Muhammad Usman has been appointed Director Chapters, while Ahsan Qamar, Mujahid Ali, Adnan Khan, Sarfraz Naeem, Akmal Ali, Aqeel Faryad and Ayan Nooruddin have been designated Punjabi, Balochi, Pashtun, Seraiki, Gilgiti, Kashmiri and Sindhi Culture Envoys, respectively.

Dr Shoukat Ali, Senior Tutor and In-charge of the International Harmony Club, said sustained financial and institutional support was essential to translate the initiative into meaningful activities.

He said the government, district administration and private sector could support such programmes, particularly through corporate social responsibility initiatives, enabling the university to organise larger cultural and educational events.

"The greater the investment in intercultural harmony, the greater its impact will be on society and future generations," he said.

Prof Shoukat said educational institutions had a crucial role in shaping the mindset of future generations and developing tolerance and acceptance among young people.

"Extremism and terrorism cannot be defeated on battlefields alone; educational institutions must collectively challenge the mindset behind division," he said.

He said the Higher Education Commission had an important role in promoting inter-provincial harmony, referring to plans for an inter-provincial harmony centre at a university in Dera Ghazi Khan.

He suggested that similar centres should also be established in Central and North Punjab to create a wider institutional network for promoting cultural understanding.

The UAF official said the university had already demonstrated the potential of intercultural activities during a recent visit by the Chinese Consul to its Confucius Institute.

Students from the Intercultural Harmony Club represented different Pakistani cultures through traditional dresses and cultural artefacts, including the Sindhi cap, Ajrak and Balochi cap.

"When we appreciate each other's cultures, cross-cultural understanding naturally grows and strengthens bonds among diverse communities," he said.

Prof Shoukat said the university also planned to link its activities with cultural days observed in different provinces, including Sindhi, Balochi, Punjabi and Pashtun cultural celebrations.

He said literary activities would also highlight the shared values found in the works of Sufi poets from different regions, including Rahman Baba, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Khushal Khan Khattak, Waris Shah and Bulleh Shah.

"Our Sufi poets share common ground, and highlighting those shared values can help us understand and appreciate our cultural diversity," he said.

He also proposed establishing a language centre where students could learn and communicate in Pakistan's indigenous languages, saying mother languages should be respected and celebrated rather than suppressed.