ISLAMABAD: Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) Senator Jehanzeb Jamaldini on Monday showed concern that banned outfits were contesting elections after changing their names. “The system knows everything about the Sehwan Sharif and Shah Noorani attacks,” he said in a veiled criticism of banned outfits being allowed to operate in the public sphere. Meanwhile, the senators called for revision in the educational syllabus keeping in view the recent reports of involvement of students in extremist activities. Taking part in the debate over a motion on the National Action Plan (NAP) in the Senate, PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar said that attempts to fight what he termed a ‘war of minds’ have been made with weapons, without any focus on narrative building. Citing the recent attack on MQM leader Khawaja Izharul Hassan, the Sabeen Mahmood murder case, the Mashal Khan lynching and the Safoora Goth carnage; Babar said the culprits in all these cases were educated individuals. “We have taught our children about jihad through our own syllabus,” Babar said, calling for a committee to be formed, comprising of all members of the house, to create a new national narrative. “Promoting art and culture is the only way to prevent terrorism,” PTI Senator Shibli Faraz said. However, State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry deflected criticism, saying that the narratives created during dictatorships had benefited the dictators rather than the country. “Those criticising NAP are actually accepting their own failure because most of the 20 points of NAP are related to the provinces,” he said. The senators also criticised the performance of the police during the discussion while stressing the importance of reforms in the institution. Senator Babar said that a complaint system against police needs to be improved and depoliticised. “People are more afraid of police than they are of robbers,” Hafiz Hamdullah of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl said, accusing law enforcers of “picking up innocents and declaring them criminals”. Senator Usman Khan Kakar alleged that transfers and postings in the police department are “all sold for bribes”. Meanwhile, Senator Farhatullah Babar proposed that incentives be provided through NFC and through Provincial Finance Awards to the local governments for successful adoption of population control measures by local governments. He said this while taking part in a motion moved by ANP Senator Sitara Ayaz. He said that population was a provincial subject and it could not be addressed by federal government alone through legislative measures. Population would not be controlled by waving some magic wand. “We have to consider giving incentives for promoting population control,” he said. All strata of society, including media, religious leaders, teachers, provincial and local governments and indeed every one had to be involved in a participatory and total national effort. He said that Pakistan had committed itself to the achievement of SDG goals by 2030 which also included population control. Some incentive in the NFC Award should be provided to provinces that successfully achieve SDG goals. Similarly incentives in the Provincial financial award should be kept for local governments for successfully achieving SDG goals in their areas of operation, he said. Published in Daily Times, September 19th 2017.