LAHORE: An international conference on counterterrorism and countering violent extremism was organized jointly by the Punjab Centre of Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism and Minhaj University Lahore on Saturday.
Punjab Home Secretary Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi attended the event as chief guest. The conference was also attended by Dr Niaz Ahmad, Dr Hassan Mohiuddin Qadri, and Dr Khurshid Nadeem, along with policymakers, academics, security officials, and civil society representatives from Pakistan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Norway. Experts presented recommendations on maintaining peace and addressing contemporary global challenges. Two books on countering terrorism and extremism by Dr Taha Qureshi and Dr Muhammad Fayyaz were launched during the event.
In his address, Dr Ahmed said the Punjab government is taking effective measures to eliminate extremism and promote tolerance and restraint, adding that the revised National Action Plan is being implemented successfully. He noted that modern challenges such as cyber warfare require comprehensive policymaking and practical measures. He said the Centre of Excellence has been activated for effective implementation of national policy, and a practical strategy has been developed to prevent violent extremism in Punjab. He emphasized that adherence to law is essential for promoting a culture of peace, tolerance, and coexistence.
The home secretary stated that 76,000 registered mosque imams in Punjab have been engaged to promote public awareness and positive thinking. The Civil Defence Resilience Corps is providing training after registering over 350,000 volunteers to effectively respond to emergencies and national challenges.
Technical sessions on community engagement for countering extremism were held during the conference. Participants were briefed on the vision and future strategy of the Centre of Excellence, while emphasis was placed on national unity, social cohesion, digital resilience, rehabilitation, de-radicalization, and youth engagement.
