INTOLERANCE LEADS TO PATH OF DESTRUCTION: AHSAN IQBAL
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said on Thursday that conflicts hinder progress, while extremism and intolerance lead to the path of destruction.
This he said while addressing the concluding ceremony of a two-day International Islamic Conference on Peace jointly organized by International Islamic Institute for Peace and Islamic Research Institute (IRI) of the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI).
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said in the conference that demagogues cause conflicts in societies and spoil the process of peace and prosperity. He said the world was facing the menace of intolerance, extremism and radicalization, adding that negative elements take advantage of the situations to create unrest in the societies. He said peaceful coexistence should be our first priority.
He opined that the solution to differences of opinion is not violence but dialogue. The path to peace cannot be found without mutual tolerance and forbearance, he added. Ahsan Iqbal maintained that knowledge, research and curiosity are the attributes that guarantee one’s success.
He said Muslims should seriously address their weaknesses with self-accountability. He added that the Muslim world must work to make the societies peaceful, prudent and knowledgeable. He maintained that Muslims had a legacy of knowledge and now Muslims were left behind in the field of knowledge, the past has to be repeated.
The Minister for Planning said that every Pakistani believes in supremacy of law and knows that the constitution has sanctity. We must meaningfully implement the constitution, he added. Addressing the youth, he said that the development and stability of the country depends on the youth. He furthered that Pakistan youth has potential to make the country a place of peace, prosperity and tolerance.
“Let’s discourage polarization and keep our youth away from narrow mindedness and prejudice” said Ahsan Iqbal. The Federal Minister said that scholars and researchers can work together with policy makers to come up with the best solution to curb extremism and conflicts. He said the mandate of this Islamic Conference for Peace was also to promote peace through research and scholars. He also lauded the leadership of the International Islamic University and the efforts of the Islamic Research Institute in promoting peace.
Addressing the conference on the occasion, Rector of Islamic University Dr Masoom Yasinzai said that it was the time that universities must come forward to play their role and involve students in constructive activities. He said that universities have to come up with solutions to the problems by adapting themselves to the needs of the society. He said that researchers and scholars from all over Pakistan participated in the conference which is a positive development. Expressing his gratitude on the occasion, Dr. Zia-ul-Haq, DG Islamic Research Institute, said that the purpose of the conference was to defeat hatred and establish peace. He said that the message of Paigham e Pakistan is all about promoting peace. He thanked Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for supervising the conference and also thanked the Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal for his cooperation in organizing it.