ISLAMABAD: A key National Assembly committee is set to take up on Tuesday (today) an important bill seeking setting up of a centre to counter violent extremism in the country, especially among the youth.

According to the agenda issued by the National Assembly Secretariat, the committee headed by Shaikh Rohale Asghar of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N is scheduled to review the National Centre for Countering Violent Extremism Bill 2017 which had been moved by PML-N MNA Romina Khursheed Alam as a private member’s bill in May this year.

While presenting the bill, Ms Khursheed had stated that it was aimed at consolidating the successes achieved by the government, the armed forces and other state institutions in the fight against terrorism. She said that there was a need to formulate a national policy to check increasing extremism in society, particularly among the youth.

The PML-N MNA had stated that young people, especially those studying in schools, colleges and universities, were being ensnared by extremist elements in the country. She said that in order to engage the youth in efforts against terrorism and extremism, the government should set up a body that would formulate policies to counter extremism and create awareness among the youth about the dangers, posed by extremists, to the very existence of the country.

The bill proposes the formation of a National Centre for Countering Violent Extremism, which would be headed by a director general and a 14-member board of governors. Its chairman would be the defence minister, while the National Assembly speaker could nominate three MNAs, and the Senate chairman could nominate three senators to sit on the board, along with the director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence and representatives from the ministries of education and interior, and the Higher Education Commission.

The main responsibilities of the proposed centre would be to: “identify risk factors that contribute to violent extremism in communities and potential remedies for public and private institutions; identify the population targeted by violent extremist propaganda, messaging or recruitment; manage outreach and engagement efforts directed towards communities and areas at risk for radicalisation and recruitment for violent extremist activities.”

Ms Khursheed also suggested the establishment of centres for peace and conflict management studies at universities in the relevant discipline.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2017