Islamabad, October 21, 2022 (PPI-OT):Iqbal International Institute for Research and Dialogue in collaboration with the Department of Sociology and Department of Media Studies, IIUI organized a seminar on Growing intolerance in Pakistan: Responsibilities of Media and Civil Society.
The Chief Guest Professor Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for the Planning, Development and Special Initiatives said that the biggest challenge of the country today was to get united and to subside the culture of hate from the society as without eliminating this culture, extremism could not be rooted out.
He said Pakistan had paid huge price of extremism during last few decades, so it was necessary to root out the culture of hate. “The governance must be an inclusive governance, if it is not inclusive and based on hate and discrimination, then we are negating the Ideology of Pakistan”, he added.
Professor Dr Masoom Yasinzai, Rector, International Islamic University Islamabad, said that Pakistan has a great potential to become a developed state. He said its youth can contribute in the prosperity of Pakistan. He added that eradication of intolerance and hatred is possible by promotion of positive thinking approach. He urged media and civil society to play their role in creating awareness about extremism, intolerance and their deadly impacts on societies.
Professor Dr Nabi Bux Jumani, Vice President A and F, IIUI said that tolerance and peace are the fundamental values of society and universities can play their vital role to promote such values in the students through education.
Universities should take initiative to impart content, organize awareness seminars and develop training programs by inviting media persons and influential persons from the civil society to infuse tolerance, peace and social cohesion among university students.
Professor Dr Zafar Iqbal, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, IIUI was of the view that chiding criticism, abusive language and gimpy blame had become the tag of Pakistani society. Social media is also a teasing tale of our terrible temperament.
People just want to tune in on the statement of their will. They lack the gallantry to listen to something beyond the bounds of a specific religious sect or peculiar political party and that really promotes intolerance in the society.
We need to develop think tanks within our universities and to educate the think tanks of private sectors and support them so that they should be able to produce narratives, knowledge for the future strategies.
Shehzada Zulfiqar, Former President Pakistan Union of Journalists said that the wave of intolerance sweeping across Pakistan was posing a serious threat to the country’s most vital interests. Role of media is quite decisive in these critical conditions.
Media can play a more constructive role for promoting social cohesion in the society by highlighting and debating issues of underdeveloped areas of Pakistan. We need to understand factors of intolerance in Pakistan such as economic disparities, illiteracy, political grievances, and inadequate social services. And intolerance can be reduced if these factors are addressed properly by the state.
Professor Dr Zakria Zakir, Vice Chancellor, University of Poonch, Rawalakot shared his views that unless we do not respect others perceptions on different issues we cannot overcome intolerance as a collective attitude of society followed by its consequences. Dr Qamar Cheema, renowned analyst said that International Islamic University Islamabad always organized programs on issues that were of vital importance for the society.
He opined that It is a need of the hour to promote tolerance in the society. Tolerance is an attitude and it can be flourished by accepting universal human rights and basic freedom of others. A large number of students and faculty members of the Department of Sociology and Department of Media Studies, IIUI attended the seminar.
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