November 6, 2018: CODE PAKISTAN held a consultation with the students and faculty of the University of Malakand, Chakdara, on countering on-campus violent extremism in Pakistan. The consultations focused on Pakistan’s legal framework on preventing incitement to violence and ideological imprint of extremist organizations in educational institutions.
The students and faculty members of the University of Malakand were of the view that since Malakand Division had been a victim of terrorism and extremism for a long time, the people of the area were fed up of extremist ideologies. The students and faculty members of the University of Malakand welcomed the initiative of CODE PAKISTAN for engaging university students on evolving strategies for countering on-campus violent extremism. The students and faculty members of the University of Malakand shared that Malakand Division was rich in agricultural produce, mineral resources, and tourism, which made it an ideal location for initiating small-scale enterprises. They were of the view that economic development would contribute to reducing extremism in the area.
The faculty members of the University of Malakand were of the view that sometimes the students borrowed intolerance from their parents and other family members. They appreciated the idea of greater interaction between parents and teachers at the university level. They were further of the view that sense of deprivation among the communities was a driver of religious extremism. Therefore, they called for socioeconomic development in the region to counter intolerance and extremism. The students and faculty members of the University of Malakand were of the view that the region deserved special credit for winning against terrorism and extremism despite making tremendous sacrifices.
The participants of the consultation included Dean Faculty of Social Sciences Prof. Arab Naz, as well as lecturers Mr. M. Ayub, Mr. Aftab Alam, Mr. Fazli Wahid, Mr. Sajid Khan, Dr. Iqbal Amin, Dr. Tariq Khan, Mr. M. Ashfaq Khan, Mr. Mohammad Hussain, Mr. Adnan Khan, Dr. Zahid Ali, and Mr. Jawad Khan. The consultation was part of a series of consultations that CODE PAKISTAN is holding with the faculties and students of various universities across Pakistan.