'Extremism caused by schools & colleges, not Madrasas': Pakistan Minister Fawad Chaudhry

Pakistan Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Thursday said that extremism in the country originates from schools and colleges and not Madrasas. He stated that teachers were recruited during the 1980s and 1990s as a plot to "teach extremism".

Addressing a consultative conference on terrorism in Islamabad organised by the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies, Chaudhry said that students of schools and colleges were part of notable incidents of extremism in the country and not of madrassahs, Pakistani daily Dawn reported.

He accused schools and colleges of closing students' minds. "If you cultivate a society where an opposing view is immediately declared kufr (heresy) ... how can you present an opposing view? And if no opposing views are tolerated, how will you bring a soft change [in society]?" Chaudhry was quoted as saying by Dawn.

The minister further added that Pakistan faces no danger from America and Europe, but within. Citing an example, he said that late religious scholar Maulana Hassan Jan was murdered for giving a fatwa declaring suicide attacks are forbidden in Islam. Because of this incident, he said that other scholars are unable to present their views.

Pakistan not fully prepared to deal with extremism

Fawad Chaudhry acknowledged that counter-extremism steps in the country are not sufficient and said that state and government are "not fully prepared" to deal with it. He also pointed that the Imran Khan administration had to take a step back while dealing with  Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

Pakistan on Thursday freed TLP chief Saad Hussain Rizvi a week after removing his name from the terrorist list, surrendering to the extremist group that was involved in deadly clashes with the police. 

"Name of Hafiz Mohammad Saad, being Ameer of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, a proscribed organisation, was listed in the 4th schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, under Section 11E on the recommendations of District Intelligence Committee, Lahore. Therefore, the name of Hafiz Mohammad Saad is hereby deleted from the list of 4th Schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, with immediate effect," a notification issued by Punjab Home Department read.

The Pakistani government has also released over 1,200 TLP workers who were arrested during clashes with police in Lahore, in which eight policemen and 11 Islamists died.