Pakistan Senate's chariman drops bill to prevent violent extremism

Pakistan Senate’s Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani on Sunday “dropped” a Bill aimed at curbing violent extremism in the country following fierce opposition from lawmakers, including those from the 

ruling coalition.

The Chairman dropped ‘The Prevention of Violent Extremism Bill 2023’ tabled by Minister of State for Law and Justice Shahadat Awan on behalf of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah as many parliamentarians opposed it, media reports said on Sunday.

The Bill said that those calling on others to show or use force, propagating and publishing extremist material, using all kinds of media for radicalisation or manipulating people’s beliefs, or provoking sectarian strife would be guilty of violent extremism.

Mohammad Humayun Mohmand, a lawmaker from Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said he did not know why the Bill was being tabled on Sunday. “Is there an emergency in Pakistan that we come and do this on Sundays, on public holidays?” Dawn News quoted him as saying.