Punjab set to establish centre of excellence to counter extremism

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LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly has proposed the establishment of a Punjab Center to counter violent extremism for the Department of Department for the Department of Department for the Department of Home Affairs to finalize an important bill, stating that it is a matter of promotion of extremism, a similar statement in the province.

Reliable sources told The News that earlier, the provincial government has transferred the proposed Punjab Center of Excellence to fight violent extremism Bill 2025, which seeks to create a special research and policy institution that will try to confront violent extremism and its personnel. The draft was sent to the Standing Committee chaired by MPA Safdar Hussain Sahi, in which the committee was now deliberately deliberately entrusted the work on the final text where it is considered necessary.

The introduction of this bill has come at a time when policy makers across the country face growing challenges from the evolutionary forms of extremism that exploit new digital platforms, sectarian distribution, political instability and international networks. Punjab, which is the home of Pakistan’s largest population, is seen as an important battlefield to create the country’s long -term flexibility through extremist threats.

The bill has been identified in the statement of the bill, citing the glorification of terrorism, destructive activities, online fundamentalism, misuse of charities and national security and social harmony, citing the glorification of terrorist organizations. The purpose of the proposed center is to counter such statements through proof -based policy research, strategic coordination, and capacity construction.

According to the draft legislation, the center will work extensively. These include conducting modern research on violent extremism and its main reasons. Development of Comprehensive Strategies and Plans of Anti-Anti-Exterthizam; Drafting policy recommendations for the provincial government; And supporting technical skills to support frontline entities such as law enforcement and regulatory institutions. In addition, it will serve as a center to collect data, analyze risk, intelligence coordination, and spread the best methods for stakeholders at multiple levels.

The focus of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) working groups is a special role in supporting the work of the working groups, including terrorist financing and cyber -powered radical analysis input. The bill has ordered the Center to maintain relations with international counterparts and institutions to facilitate cross -border cooperation on emerging terrorism and extremism challenges.

The proposed governance structure reflects the strategic importance linked to the initiative. The Chief Minister or his nominee will provide a high -power board of governors, overall direction and supervision. The board will include key cabinet ministers, senior government employees, Inspector General of Police, Deputy Inspector General of Anti -Terrorism Department, Academia Representative, and a Chief Coordination Officer who will serve as an operational head.

The center is also expected to promote cooperation with religious leaders, belief -based organizations, media platforms, and civil society groups to promote controversial statements connecting human rights, constitutional values ​​and social harmony. It will organize workshops, symposis, fellowships and training programs, which aims to include the weaker sections, including youth, women, minorities and rural communities, into the mainstream – which is often seen as the basic goals of recruiting extremists.

Financial support for the center will be obtained from government grants, partnerships of individuals and organizations, and other sources allowed under the Act. In an attempt to ensure transparency and accountability, the Center’s financial operations will be subject to the annual audit by the Auditor General of Pakistan, in which reports of performance will be presented to the Punjab Assembly.

Political observers noted that the Standing Committee is in accordance with the principles of reference procedures, which have a lot of input and potential cross -party consensus. Any legal experts have welcomed the move as a “long-term”, and saying that the previous efforts of anti-exemptions in the province are often pieces and re-active. “What is needed is a permanent institutional mechanism that can be constantly researching, can promote the cooperation of the Bank agency, and inform the public policy. The proposed center offers such a platform,” said a senior legal scholar on the condition of anonymity.

Civil society representatives have also carefully welcomed the move, though some people have emphasized the importance of maintaining the center’s independence and ensuring that its work has not been done by politics or cooperation through tight security agendas. A representative of a group of human rights based in Lahore said, “It has to be guided by real commitment to promote constitutional principles, respect for human rights, and pluralism.”

Once the Standing Committee submits its report-the expected-bicker-by-by-ferocial debate will return to the assembly floor in the coming weeks and the final vote. If implemented, the Punjab Center of Excellence will represent a very expensive provincial move in the landscape of Pakistan’s wider counter-existing land, which will have potential lessons from other federal units.

The move is also being closely watched by national security stakeholders, as Pakistan navigates a complex regional environment that changes the new threats of militants, ideological polarization, and geographical political dynamics. Even if this center eventually fulfills its promise, it depends not only on the standard of legislation, but also on a permanent political will and institutional support, which will need to be translated into a meaningful process in a meaningful process.