Apr 03 , 2016
News
Pervaiz lays stress on efforts to change extremist mindset
APPISLAMABAD: Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Pervaiz Rashid said on Saturday that Operation Zarb-e-Azb was meant to defeat terrorism and laid stress on the need for efforts to change the mindset behind extremism.
“The Operation Zarb-e-Azb was launched to eliminate terrorists, but now an intellectual Zarb-e-Azb is crucial to change the mindset behind extremism,” he told reporters at the inaugural ceremony of the Dream Home Expo at the Pak-China Friendship Centre. He said there was a need to respect each other’s ideas, viewpoint and difference of opinion.
The minister said that Operation Zarb-e-Azb had achieved a tremendous success against terrorists and the security personnel rendered enormous sacrifices for Pakistan and its people. “The government headed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is making all-out efforts to wipe out terrorism,” he added. The minister said that extremism was the root cause of terrorism therefore an “intellectual Zarb-e-Azb” was being initiated to change the mindset breeding extremism.
The information minister said the operation would continue till achievement of the objectives. All resources would be utilised to fight extremist tendencies, Rashid said, adding that the terrorist network had been dismantled. He said that terrorists were now on the run after destruction of their weapon depots, training centres and communication networks.
The media, he said, had an important role to play in this regard. He said that an atmosphere would be created in the country where people would respect each other’s viewpoint. He said that extremism would be eliminated from the country by promoting peaceful ideas and values. He said that education institutions and the media would lead the peace movement in Pakistan. He said that literature would be promoted for peace in the country.
To a question, the minister said the government believed in the freedom of expression and no one had the right to take that freedom away in any manner. He said the federal government was engaged in eradication of terrorism.
Referring to an anti-rat campaign in Peshawar, he said it seemed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was busy in elimination of rats from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that billions of rupees were reportedly embezzled in the plantation campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and now money was being embezzled through the anti-rat campaign. “We’ll continue our mission to eradicate terrorism and laud the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government if it succeeds in its mission to make the province rat free,” he said.
About the housing sector, the minister said it was the top priority of the government to provide residential facilities to people. He said that Pakistan was facing three major challenges — terrorism, energy crisis and poor economy — in 2013 when the incumbent government assumed power. He said the government had developed a strategy to deal with these challenges.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk