CVE to operate under National Policy on Extremism, says Lanjar

Karachi: The first meeting of the Board of Governors of the Sindh Center of Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) was held on Tuesday, chaired by Sindh Minister for Home and Law Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar.

According to Spokesperson to the Minister for Law and Home, Sikandar Baloch, during the meeting, participants reviewed strategies to prevent violent extremism across the province. The minister announced that a new provincial center dedicated to countering extremism has been formally established in Sindh. The center will operate under the National Policy on Preventing Violent Extremism (NPVE-2024) and the revised National Action Plan.

Officials were briefed on policy formulation and Sindh-specific CVE initiatives. The meeting emphasized prioritizing research into the drivers of violent extremism and adopting evidence-based analysis to inform policy decisions.

The board stressed the need for specialized training and capacity building for police, government institutions, and community stakeholders. It was also decided that peace and dialogue programs would be launched for youth, women, religious scholars, and minority communities.

Rehabilitation and social reintegration of individuals affected by extremism were identified as key priorities of the center. To ensure effective oversight, the meeting approved the development of monitoring systems, dashboards, and regular review mechanisms.

The center will comprise two wings: a Research and Community Engagement Wing, and a Finance and IT Wing. In the first phase, its operations will cover six to eight districts of Sindh, with plans to expand programs to all districts in the second phase.

The Board approved a five-year strategic roadmap, under which the first year will focus on planning, the second and third years on expansion, and the fourth and fifth years on full institutional integration.

Reaffirming commitment to coordinated efforts aligned with national priorities, the Sindh Home Minister underscored the importance of a comprehensive approach to countering violent extremism.

The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary Home Iqbal Memon, Inspector General of Police Sindh Javed Alam Odho, Finance Secretary Fayyaz Jatoi, Law Secretary, Prosecutor General Sindh Ali Ahmed Baloch, Prosecutor General Sindh Muntazar Mehdi, Suleman S. Mehdi, and representatives of civil society, along with other senior officials.