ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani on Tuesday said Pakistani nation would overcome extremism and terrorism as it had unprecedented resilience.
“Conscious efforts were made by the state during Zia regime to promote a culture of extremism. The narrative shifted from the culture of tolerance, compassion and love, which are hallmark of this land of Sufism,” he said. “But we want to make it clear that this nation has the potential and spirit to defend its sovereignty and we would like to die then to be slave of the extremist forces,” he said.
Mian Raza Rabbani expressed these view while addressing the concluding session of a Seminar on ’70 Years of Pakistan’ on Tuesday, organised by the Senate Defense Committee.
Rabbani said that during the Zia regime, student unions were banned and healthy activities of the students having liberal affiliation were not encouraged. “However, the right wing political parties were given a free hand to have their student wings active in the campuses to spread a culture and ideology of extremism in the country,” he said.
Published in Daily Times, September 27th 2017.
