WASHINGTON: Pakistan presented a five-point strategy on Thursday for combating violent extremism before a White House summit.

Addressing the meeting, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the strategy could form “the conceptual bedrock” of a global action plan in dealing with violent extremism.

The strategy calls for strengthening local communities, winning the trust of mainstream peace-loving majority, building resilience in local communities against radicalisation and addressing the factors driving people to extremism.

Know more: Need to work overtime to end sectarian attacks: Nisar

The strategy also stressed the need for focusing on education to promote tolerance and communal harmony.

Mr Khan praised the US administration for its efforts to unite the world in the fight against extremism.

The summit initiative could lay the basis for forging common ground against the common enemy of violent extremism, he said.

“Violent extremism is an affront to core human values and threatens all societies. There are no accused or judges in this debate,” he said.

He said Pakistan not only understood the challenge but also empathised with other nations facing inhuman and mindless acts of violence.

He told world leaders attending the summit that the people of Pakistan remained steadfast in their resolve to defeat the menace of terrorism.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and National Security Adviser Susan Rice presided over various sessions of the daylong ministerial segment of the summit at the State Department.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2015

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