Book launch: Intolerance termed main cause of terrorism

Ex-IG Motorway police in his book identifies five diseases impeding county’s progress

ISLAMABAD: The Vice Chancellor of the Quaid-e- Azam University (QAU) Dr Javed Ashraf said on Wednesday that intolerance in Pakistan was breeding terrorism.

"The only thing we need in the country is tolerance and terrorism is a result of not being tolerant," he said in his brief remarks on the occasion of launching of a book "Du Tok Batain" (Straight talk) authored by former IG of National Highway and Motorway Police Zulfiqar Ahmad Cheema at the QAU auditorium.

The event was organised by the National Institute of Pakistan Studies (NIPS) as a gesture to acknowledge Cheema who portrayed Pakistan in the light of the teachings of its founding fathers who wanted it to be a democratic, progressive and tolerant country.

The Vice Chancellor of Allama Iqbal Open University Dr Shahid Siddiqui in his remarks said Pakistan was not just a piece of land but was name of an ideology and Cheema’s book was a true reflection of ‘Pakistaniat’.

Cheema said if one had the will and determination, everything was doable. He told the youth that Pakistan had much brighter future than their expectations.

He said Pakistan can be among top nations of the world in a few years, provided it overpowers five diseases. He identified these as "pessimism; inferiority complex; corruption; non-transparency and ineffective institutions and lack of rule of law."

He lamented that breaking law had become status symbol and Pakistanis were ashamed of speaking in their mother tongue with their kids.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2015.