On May 6, 2018, in the heart of Narowal, a young man raised a gun and shot me.
For many years I have spoken of extremism as a national challenge, a poison that enters minds before harming societies. But at this shocking moment, extremism was no longer an abstract idea. It was a bullet. It was painful. It was blood. It was a life interrupted.
Thanks to the infinite mercy of Allah Almighty, I survived. But survival carries its own responsibility. I came away from this incident with a clarity that has never left me: if hatred had tried to silence a voice, then that voice must speak louder for peace. This is how the Narowal peace dialogue was born. Every year since that attack, I have attempted to turn a personal wound into a public mission by convening conferences in Narowal dedicated to peace, tolerance, interfaith harmony and the fight against extremism. What began as an act of defiance against violence gradually transformed into a broader platform for dialogue, learning and solidarity.
This week, on May 5-6, Narowal is hosting the second Narowal International Peace Dialogue under the theme “Building lasting bridges for regional peace”. The dialogue brings together twenty international delegates, including the former Prime Minister of Morocco, over 4,000 students and over 200 delegations from across Pakistan.
Narowal, a border town has become a bridge. A bullet intended to silence a message helped turn that message into a movement. This transformation is a deliberate response to one of the most serious challenges of our time: the retreat of peace and the rise of hatred.
Today, narrative construction itself has become a weapon. A lie can be conceived, presented, amplified and targeted before the facts even have a chance to speak. Societies are being pushed towards polarization. Communities are divided by fabricated grievances. Ethnic, sectarian, religious, political and subnational identities are exploited to generate anger, suspicion and chaos.
Social media has opened up extraordinary possibilities for knowledge, participation and connection. But it also gave extremism new tools. Algorithms often reward outrage over understanding. Fake news is not just used to misinform, but also to inflame. It can turn neighbor against neighbor, citizen against state, community against community and nation against nation. This is why the struggle for peace today is also a struggle for truth. The fight against violent extremism is no longer limited to security operations. It’s about countering hateful voices, rebuilding trust, teaching critical thinking, protecting young minds, and creating spaces where dialogue can overcome division.
The Narowal Peace Dialogue is important because it is not just a ceremonial event. It is a moral and intellectual response to the climate of anger that surrounds us. We are determined to make Narowal known for dialogue and not division. This city has experienced the hardship, neglect and pressures of living near a border. But it also showed what vision can do. With universities, schools, sports facilities, cultural platforms and youth engagement, Narowal is emerging as a city of knowledge, opportunities and harmony.
For me, this has always been the main goal of development. Roads, campuses, hospitals, sports fields and public institutions are not just physical infrastructure. They are instruments of nation building. They prove that a small town can convey a big message.
The central message of the Narowal Peace Dialogue is simple but powerful: we may have differences, but we must never allow our differences to turn into hatred. Let’s be competitive, but in knowledge, service, innovation and character. Let’s debate, but with dignity. Let’s disagree, but without dehumanizing ourselves.
The Holy Quran reminds us: “O men, indeed We have created you from a male and a female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know each other. » (Surah Al-Hujurat, 49:13)
Dialogue is a moral and civilizational duty. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) attached extraordinary importance to this duty. In a well-known Hadith, he asked his companions if he should inform them of anything more important than prayer, fasting and charity. He then said: reconcile relationships between people. Because when relationships are corrupted, societies are destroyed. This prophetic wisdom speaks directly to our times. A society cannot survive on its rituals alone if hearts are filled with hatred.
Pakistan’s commitment to peace is not a slogan. This is part of our national experience. Since its independence, Pakistan has been among the world’s largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions. Our diplomacy has repeatedly supported dialogue, restraint and a negotiated settlement in unstable regions.
Pakistan understands the cost of conflict because we paid for it ourselves. We understand the price of extremism because our people, our soldiers, our schools, our mosques, our shrines, our markets and our leaders have been the targets of terrorism and hatred. But we also understand the power of resilience. We know that societies are only defeated by violence if they abandon their moral purpose.
The Pakistan the world needs to see is not a country defined by its challenges, but a nation determined to overcome them. This is also the spirit of Uraan Pakistan, a national vision of economic recovery, human development and collective confidence. A peaceful Pakistan is essential for a prosperous Pakistan. And a prosperous Pakistan can become a stronger force for regional peace.
Peace and development are inseparable. No nation can build classrooms, industries, laboratories, exports and jobs on the basis of fear. No region can prosper when suspicion replaces cooperation. The choice before South Asia, the Muslim world and the international community as a whole is clear: we can continue to devote our energies to managing conflict, or we can invest them in building a common future.
The most important aspect of the Narowal peace dialogue is the focus on youth. More than 4,000 students participate in this conference. It’s not just about attendance. It’s an investment. Young people today live in a world of information overload. Their minds are the main battlefield of the 21st century. The extremists understand this. Hate networks understand this. Those who wish to divide societies understand this.
This is why peacemakers must also understand this. The answer is not to isolate young people from the world but to prepare them for it. We must give them critical thinking, moral courage, historical understanding, digital literacy and the confidence to ask questions. We must teach them to recognize fake news, resist manipulation, reject hatred and choose dialogue over destruction.
Through this dialogue, we train ambassadors of peace. We want young Pakistanis to return to their campuses, cities, towns and communities with a message: patriotism is not hatred of others; faith is not intolerance; force is not aggression; and disagreement is not enmity.
A peaceful society is not built only by governments. It is built by teachers, parents, academics, media professionals, religious leaders, artists, students and citizens. Every classroom can become a space of peace. Every mosque, church, temple, gurdwara, university, newsroom and digital platform can become a bridge or a battlefield.
The choice is ours. This is why peace education must be part of our national conversation. We need young people who are confident in their identity but who are respectful of others; proud of their faith but not hostile to difference; patriotic but not intolerant; connected to the world but anchored in values. Let us say it clearly: peace is not weakness; dialogue is not abandonment; reconciliation is not cowardice.
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah envisioned Pakistan as a state rooted in justice, tolerance, constitutionalism and goodwill towards all. This vision remains our compass. Pakistan must be strong in defense, strong in economy, strong in institutions and strong in social cohesion. But above all, it must be strong in its moral purpose.
The future does not belong to nations that educate their youth, protect their social fabric, build resilient institutions, create opportunities and choose cooperation over confrontation. Hatred can make noise, but peace creates civilization.
On May 6, 2018, a bullet attempted to silence a message. Eight years later, this message resonates in Narowal through international delegates, national representatives, thousands of students and countless young hearts.
Narowal did not give in to violence. Pakistan must never give in to despair. And in a world drawn toward division, our response must remain clear: our side is peace. Our weapon is dialogue. Our mission is to build bridges that hatred cannot destroy.
The author is Federal Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives. He tweets/posts @betterpakistan and can be contacted at: [email protected]
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policies of PK Press Club.tv.
Originally published in The News
