Pakistan, US to hold conference for global action plan against extremism

Interior minister says close collaboration of both countries is of great significance to achieve peace in region

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and United States will jointly hold an international conference to formulate a global action plan to deal with extremism in South Asia, a senior official told The Express Tribune. 

During a meeting between Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and US ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson, Washington assured that it will assistance to Islamabad to convene a conference in July-August this year.

The conference will focus on countering extremism and militancy in the region, according to a senior official who was familiar with the matter said.

“Consultation with all stakeholders to hold a global conference to discuss looming security threats in the South Asian region. It will take us two to three months to finalise the process,” he added.

A statement released after Olson and Nisar's meeting at Punjab House said that the Interior Minister reiterated his call for empowering local communities, building resilience against radicalization and addressing factors that drive people towards extremism will be some of the concepts the conference aims to discuss. He also called for focusing on education to promote tolerance among people.

The interior minister's visit to the United States and bilateral relations between the two countries and the regional situation was discussed during the meeting.

Read: Meeting with Kerry: Quantum leap in trust between US, Pakistan, says Nisar

The interior minister appreciated White House's efforts and observed that there is a need to have serious discussions and deliberations on this issue  of extremism.

He also praised US administration and President Obama's stance in clearly differentiating between extremism and Islam, read the statement.

Nisar observed that peace in the region was a shared objective of the two countries and close collaboration and enhancing multifaceted cooperation between the two countries was of great significance for achieving shared objectives and goals.

"Pakistan wants to have a long term, sustained and multifaceted equation with the United States that would bringing the two countries closer and contribute significantly towards the promotion of regional peace and development," Nisar said.

Appreciating the struggle of the Pakistani government and its people against militants and extremists, Ambassador Olson said that the United States was committed to strengthening its bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation on issues of mutual concern.