Fawad: Schools, colleges caused extremism in Pakistan, not madrassa

By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 05 Jan 2023

In Pakistan, schools and colleges are the reason behind extremism, not madrassas, contrary to what people believe, said Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry.

“Teachers, in the 1990s, were intentionally appointed to spread extremism in Pakistan,” he said. “In recent notable incidents, ordinary students were involved not of a madrassa.”

The information minister was addressing a ceremony, organized by the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies, in Islamabad.

How you can present an opposing view if your statement gets declared a blasphemy in the society based on “intolerance”, he asked.

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He quoted JUIF’s late leader Maulana Hassan Jan, who was murdered for giving a fatwa that declared suicide attacks forbidden in Islam.

Chaudhry lamented that the state is “not fully prepared” the way it should have to deal with extremism.

“In this [Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan] case we had to step back while dealing with TLP.. And this is a bombshell on Pakistan.. That is alarming,” he added.

In October, the TLP marched to Islamabad for the release of its leader Saad Rizvi. The government and the party reached a secret agreement following the violent protests in Punjab.

The banned, later, on the party was lifted and the TLP chief was released.