ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira said on Tuesday that as a nation we have to launch “Jihad” against illiteracy and ignorance as due to handful of terrorists and extremists image of Islam and Pakistan has been damaged in the world.

He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of a gymnasium and a day care centre at women campus of International Islamic University.

The minister said that in today's world unfortunately most of the countries facing terrorism and human rights violations are Islamic countries.

Kaira said that Pakistan used to be a tolerant society but in 1980s, it was intentionally converted into an intolerant society to serve the purpose of a super power and today we are paying the price of that decision.

He said that here in IIU which has great Islamic scholars in its faculty thousands of Muslim girls are imparted education but in some parts of the country handful of extremists are burning girls’ schools in the name of Islam.

He said that the present government with the support of the masses has been fighting the extremist and terrorist elements but defeating them completely would take some time.

He said that people talk about revolution but there was need of evolution in Pakistan as some countries cannot afford revolution.

Commenting on next general elections, the information minister said that consultation with the opposition is part of regular political norms. “We want a care-taker setup with opposition’s consensus,” he added.

Moreover, Kaira alleged the Punjab government for encouraging the banned outfits by allowing them to hold public rallies in the province.