REFERENCE your editorial ‘Extremism in universities’ (July 17). For one, I fully agree with the view that centres of scholarship in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world have become breeding grounds for extremism.

There are multiple factors behind this phenomenon, including the West’s rabid policies, like deadly drone strikes, regime change and military intervention in many Muslim countries. In Pakistan, militancy on campuses saw a dramatic rise during Gen. Zia’s dictatorship.

He tacitly supported extremist and obscurantist forces in radicalising university students and other young men. The consequences of his excruciating rule are still haunting us.

During his regime, Pakistani students were misled into fighting in Afghanistan against Soviet forces. Subsequent governments, barring that of Benazir Bhutto, either followed the same policy or failed to curb radicalism in universities.

A proper screening of teachers and students, a constructive national debate, appropriate syllabi, administrative reforms and checks on some right-wing parties, workshops and seminars could be helpful.

M. Afzal Khan

Peshawar

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2017