Information Minister Attaullah Tarar speaks to Voice of America in an interview. Photo: screenshot/VoA
ISLAMABAD:
The government on Tuesday defended its actions to contain the hydra of terrorism by informing the upper house of parliament that the federal government had launched coordinated initiatives to counter extremism and terrorism through religious harmony, narrative construction and strict implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP).
Replying to a question during Question Hour, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that a Paigham-e-Aman Committee had been constituted without discrimination on the grounds of sect or political affiliation.
He said the committee had included scholars from all schools of thought and representatives of different religions from across Pakistan, which was actively touring the country to promote a counter-narrative against extremism, violence and terrorism.
Tarar said building a credible counter-narrative against violent extremism was primarily the responsibility of religious scholars, adding that the government had also established a Counter Violent Extremism (CVE) Cell in the Ministry of Information.
It said a third-party audit mechanism had been put in place to assess the reach and impact of narratives produced by CVE Cell, particularly through digital platforms.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Talal Chaudhry also briefed the Senate on the government’s broader strategy to counter extremism, telling senators that kinetic and non-kinetic measures were being implemented simultaneously.
He said the latest meeting on countering extremism had been held under the guidance of the Information Minister, while the Paigham-e-Aman Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, had formulated a comprehensive outreach program covering universities, madaris, mosques and other segments of the society.
Chaudhry highlighted the need for a full parliamentary debate on the 14-point National Action Plan II (NAP-II), pointing out that the original NAP had been formulated after the Army Public School tragedy during the PML-N government and then revised during the PTI government with the consensus of all provinces.
He informed the House that a high-level coordination committee on counter-terrorism, chaired by the Prime Minister and attended by all chief ministers and heads of security institutions, met regularly to review progress.
Privatization Commission (Amendment) Bill
The Senate on Tuesday passed the Privatization Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2025, the Standing Committee said.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatization Muhammad Ali introduced the bill to further amend the Privatization Commission Ordinance 2000. [The Privatisation Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2025] at home.
The House passed the bill through clause-by-clause reading.
Meanwhile, Minister of Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar moved a motion that the bill to establish the Vigilance and Protection of Whistleblowers Commission (Vigilance and Protection of Whistleblowers Commission Bill, 2025), passed by the Senate and transmitted to the National Assembly but not passed by the National Assembly within ninety days of its introduction in the National Assembly, be considered in a joint session. The House adopted the motion.
