NACTA official identifies radicalism and religious extremism as major causes of terrorism

The University of Karachi, in collaboration with the National Counter Terrorism Authority Pakistan (NACTA), held a one-day workshop on the importance of peace studies and indigenous discourse in the country.

The event, organised by the KU Office of Research, Innovation, and Commercialization, took place at the varsity’s Audio Visual Centre.

Speaking to the workshop, Dr Khalid Chauhan, director-general of research and development at NACTA, said that European countries, despite having a population of just a few million, excelled due to their technically sound and skilled citizens.

With a population of approximately 200 million, he said, the challenges hindering Pakistan’s competitiveness included concerns about the quality of the education system.

Chauhan stressed the need to establish vocational training centres nationwide to preparing the youth to compete in the international market. He said, “NACTA plans to form a joint working group involving students in the vocational training programme.”

Drawing inspiration from China’s model, he emphasized the importance of collaboration between academia, community, and government for societal development.

He asserted that developed societies should not restrict thinking and research but encourage them. He said that Pakistan’s 65 percent of population comprises youth, and they would play a critical role in the next five years in the country’s development.

Dr Dayyab Gillani, director of research at NACTA, underscored that war was not the solution to the problems, citing the example of Afghanistan.

He identified radicalism and religious extremism as major causes of terrorism, advocating the focus on peace studies for fostering a culture of harmony to eliminate extremism in Pakistan.

Gillani said that NACTA aims to prevent terrorism and its root causes by addressing issues related to religion and the misuse of sectarian sentiments. He added that sectarian terrorism could easily spread during rallies with sectarian-based slogans.

Urging the training of youth to avoid extremist tendencies, he emphasized the crucial role of universities in engaging students and teachers in dialogues around counter extremism.

Earlier, Dr Syeda Hoor-Ul-Ain, director of ORIC at KU, and Dr Shaista Tabbasum, dean of the faculty of arts and social sciences, highlighted the workshop’s aims and objectives, emphasizing its importance in society, particularly within universities, where teachers could contribute to addressing the country’s challenges.