THIS is apropos your editorial ‘Scrutiny of students unacceptable’ (Sept 8). Why is the state reluctant to initiate some basic measures to counter extremism among students?

Why aren’t measures being taken to know how this ideology reaches students’ mind through literature? How and why is such misleading literature easily available?

Why haven’t the state and its institutions involved ulema to eliminate extremism? It is the responsibility of ulema to come up with stronger counter narrative, for their words will be more convincing for the youth.

Major Deoband and Ahl-i-Hadith seminaries should be involved in countering this menace. Message of tolerance from mosques will appeal more to the people.

University faculty should also be trained in this respect. One of my friends told me about his classmate who was interested in a banned outfit. He would always argue with the teacher and had extremist views. But the teacher could never convince him to shun his extremist views.

Later, that student was detained by security agencies on suspicion of his link with the militant Islamic State group. Why are the teachers at universities so indifferent to this issue?

Our government institutions do not seem to have a long-term and permanent solution to this issue. They are always looking for temporary solutions which cost us dearly.

Mussadiq Khan Niazi

Mianwali

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2017