- Says Army will fight terrorists, society should fight extremism
ISLAMABAD, May 18: Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Thursday that the hostile forces are polluting the young minds with the help of social media in the country.
“Youth is our investment in future. Faceless and nameless hostile forces are polluting mind of youth through social media,” he said while addressing a seminar Role of Youth in Rejecting Extremism in Rawalpindi.
Gen Bajwa said the fight against terrorism will have to be fought on many fronts and through different organs of the state.
The army chief’s statement comes a few days after information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb warned social media users of action under the cyber crime law.
“Those, who are using social media for slanderous and negative propaganda against the constitutional state institutions, are warned to desist from this undesirable activity,” the state minister had said in a recent statement.
“Fight here onwards has to be carried on by all organs of the state and its people. Raad ul Fasaad is just the begining of the new phase,” the army chief said.
Appreciating the results of the ongoing operation, COAS said: “Security Threats have diminished resulting in an environment where development can take off.”
He commended his troops for valiantly fighting the enemies of the
state adding that Pakistan Army is the only army in the world that has defeated terrorism on this scale.
Army Chief made a subtle distinction between terrorism and extremism, saying the military could only defeat terrorists but extremism is something civil society is better equipped to deal with.
Gen Bajwa said extremism is the foremost factor driving terrorism, adding that though the former is a term “relative to our perception of what is normal,” it has a lot to do with the environment in which people live.
“From that perspective,” he added, “We must admit that Pakistani youth is being exploited due to the poor governance [of the country] and lack of justice in society.”
Citing the demographics of the country, he said 50 per cent of the Pakistani population is projected to be less than 25 years of age, adding that the future of this country “literally lies” in whatever direction the youth takes.-Agencies
