Civil Society have concerns regarding implementation of NAP

Civil Society have concerns regarding implementation of NAP

Why the pace is so slow at civil side? If civil society, relevant ministers, VCs, HEC head and NGOs + intellectuals are ready then what is the hindrance? Is it high time that the Standing committees of education & Information should act as Over Sight Committees in all the 4 provinces regarding implementation of NAP in media and education sectors. It s time to engage textbook boards, heads of education institutions (Public & Private), Press Clubs, Journalist organizations and Media groups and start valuable debate regarding implementation, strengths and gapes of NAP. 

DAWN @ Counter Narrative

The Tribune @ textbooks contained gender and urban bias and promoted religious and communal sectarianism

Speakers for evolving counter narrative to fight terrorism

      

  

By Our Staff Reporter | 12/15/2015 12:00:00 AM

LAHOR E: Speakers at a seminar on the `National Action Plan and its outcome` have said terrorism cannot be eradicated without fighting extremism. Punjab Finance Minister Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha chaired the policy dialogue at the Government College University here on Monday. It was organise d by Bargad, an NGO, in collaboration with the Punjab government to remember the martyrs of the APS Peshawar and review the implementation of the NAP. Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashood, Punjab Higher Education Commission Chairman Prof Dr Mohammad Nizamuddin, eminent rights activist I.A Rehman and noted writer Amir Riaz gave recommendations for the better implementation of the NAP. LA Rehman said the NAP should not be made a final word and it must becontinuously reviewed and renewed according to the emerging needs. He also highlighted the need for developing the nation`s counter narrative, saying `it is a war of minds and cannot be fought in battlefields alone. He said the NAP was silent about curriculum reforms. `Terrorists have a narrative but unfortunately we do not have a national counter narrative,` he said, adding academicians must be involved in developing national counter narrative which should be propagated through education, media and artwork. Writer Amir Riaz said: `Our textbooks are gender and urban bias and promote religious and communal sectarianism. Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Shah said: `We need to fight for poverty alleviation, socio-economic justice and above all an education system which inculcates love for humanity for the success of NAP. Rana Mashhood paid tribute to the victims of the APS attack and stressedthe importance of NAP`s implementation to ensure that Dec 16, 2014, was never repeated. Later, the GCU students signed a `Peace Resolution` that reads that `We solemnly vow to stand up against violent extremism in Pakistan. We vow to never let Dec 19, 2014 be repeated. We condemn this heinous tragedy and extend our full support to the government`s efforts being made under the NA to avoid such atrocities in the future. WALK: The Postgraduate Medical Institute and Amiruddin Medical College arranged on Monday a walk to pay tribute to the martyrs of Army Public School, Peshawar. The walk began from Birdwood Road and concluded at Shadman Chowk. The participants were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans in favour of the army. They also condemned terrorism and reiterated that terrorists and their facilitators would find no place in Pakistan. http://punjabpunch.blogspot.com/2015/12/two-16-decembers-can-pakistan-turn.html

LAHORE: 

Education should be used to counter extremism, Education Minister Rana Mashhood said on Monday.

He was addressing a policy seminar at Government College University (GCU) Lahore. The event was organised by Bargad, a non-government organisation (NGO), in collaboration with the Punjab government to remember the martyrs of the Peshawar Attack and to review implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP).

Punjab Finance Minister Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha chaired the policy dialogue at the seminar.

Punjab Higher Education Commission Chairman Prof Dr Mohammad Nizamuddin, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan secretary general IA Rehman and writer Amir Raiz gave recommendations for better implementation of the NAP.

Raiz said that some textbooks contained gender and urban bias and promoted religious and communal sectarianism. “They only show women as nurses or teachers and ignore several successful roles, including in arts and as entrepreneur in the modern society,” he said.

Dr Nizamuddin stressed the need to elaborately incorporate the last sermon of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s speech of August 11, 1947 in school syllabus to eliminate extremism.

IA Rehman said that the NAP should not be considered as the only way to counter terrorism. “It must be continuously reviewed and renewed according to emerging needs and most importantly measures to counter extremism should be given priority in this plan,” he said.

GCU Vice Chancellor Hassan Shah said: “We need poverty alleviation, socioeconomic justice and above all an education system that inculcates love for humanity.”

Later, a large number of GCU students signed a Peace Resolution that read: “We solemnly vow to stand up against violent extremism in Pakistan. We vow to never let 16th December 2014 be repeated. We condemn this heinous tragedy and extend our full support to the government’s efforts being made under the National Action Plan to avoid such atrocities in the future.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2015.