Govt constitutes peace committee to counter terrorism, extremism

• Minority leaders also included in the committee.
• DG Internal Publicity Wing to serve as secretary.
• TORs to be finalised in first meeting.

ISLAMABAD: The government has formed a National Peace Message Committee to develop a consensus narrative against terrorism, extremism, and sectarianism, with the body working under the National Committee on Narrative Building.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the committee will be chaired by Federal Minister Attaullah Tarar.

Its members include Senator Hafiz Abdul Karim, Mufti Abdul Rahim, Allama Arif Hussain Wahidi, Pir Naqeeb-ur-Rehman, Allama Muhammad Hussain Akbar, and Dr Muhammad Raghib Hussain Naeemi.

Other members comprise Maulana Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, Maulana Tayyab Punj Piri, and Allama Ziaullah Shah Bukhari.

Minority communities will also be represented through Bishop Azad Marshal, Rajesh Kumar Hardasani, and Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora. The notification stated that the director general of the Internal Publicity Wing of the Information Ministry will serve as secretary of the committee.

It added that the committee will finalise detailed terms of reference (TORs) in its first meeting, which will align with those of the National Committee on Narrative Building.

Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed the need to discourage the elements who had been churning out nefarious material on social media against the security forces, terming it “highly condemnable”.

Addressing the federal cabinet meeting, the prime minister said it was their responsibility they single out and identify such elements and, with unwavering commitment, root them out.

He said such a repugnant attitude towards the armed forces was unbearable and termed it a “fitna” which should be crushed.