Since the late 1970s, Pakistan has experienced a radical shift towards a certain brand of extremism which has devoured the socio-economic and cultural dynamics of the state. Lack of quality education and abysmal state of affairs in the public sector have further aggravated polarisation in the society. Earlier this week, the tragic murder of Associate Professor Khalid Hameed, the head of the English department of a local college in Bahawalpur, reminds of us that extremism can only be contained through the reformation of the society. His killer Khateeb Hussain, a 20 years old 5th semester BS student, had no regrets in admitting the gruesome act. In his opinion, the professor was promoting ‘obscenity’ by organising a welcome event for newcomer male and female students. He essentially demanded segregation which clearly indicates that he was brainwashed. Notably, it has been reported that Khateeb had been watching Khadim Hussain Rizvi’s video lectures for the past couple of months. This implies how he managed to have such narrow-minded views about his surroundings. He belongs to the same typical mindset whose only role in the society is to spread anarchy, intolerance and vile hatred. While Hussain must be brought to justice, similar cases in the past had negligible impact on making certain sections of the masses realise their mistakes. Mashal Khan’s case is one such example where a certain group of students and members of the university administration connived to murder him on the pretext of blasphemy. He finally received justice on Thursday morning when the court sentenced the accused to life imprisonment. What’s more striking is that Mashal was outspoken about the university’s questionable activities which proved costly for him. Blasphemy is often used a political weapon to foment seeds of hatred. Though Aasia Bibi received justice after a decade, she had to bear a lot. Shaheed SalmaanTaseer, one of the most iconic business tycoons and politicians this country ever had, was murdered at the hands of the very same mindset which used blasphemy as a tool to pursue its vile designs. The state must focus on reformation through a sustainable educational program and implement the National Action Plan (NAP) with an iron fist. Transforming the society’s mindset will take at least a couple of decades since it cannot be done overnight. Perhaps, after recent incidents and cases, the state will self-reflect and prevent fundamentalism from flourishing in the country. * Published in Daily Times, March 22nd 2019.