In light of recent reports of involvement of students in terrorist activities, senators on Monday called for revisions in the syllabi taught in educational institutions.

While debating a motion on the National Action Plan (NAP) on the floor of 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 Khwaja Izharul Hassan, the Sabeen Mahmood murder case, the Mashal Khan lynching and the Safoora Goth carnage, Babar recalled that 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.

On the other hand, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) Senator Jehanzeb Jamaldini expressed concerns over banned organisations 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.

"Promoting art and culture is the only way to prevent terrorism," Senator Shibli Faraz said as he added his own view to the debate.

However, Minister of State 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.

Police reforms

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-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) said, accusing law enforcement agencies of "picking up innocents and declaring them criminals".

Senator Usman Khan Kakar, while talking on the subject, also alleged that transfers and postings in the police department are "all sold for bribes".

Senate discussion on census

PPP Senator Taj Haider told the Upper House that Sindh's population was over 50 million in 2013, whereas Karachi was home to over 20m people. He suggested that the 2017 census results, therefore, showed that the population in Sindh and Karachi has decreased.

The provisional results of the sixth population census released last month puts Sindh's population at 47.89m and Karachi division's population at 16.05m.

Haider's comments today were based on Sindh government estimates as well as a National Database Regulatory Authority (Nadra) document. A document he had earlier shared with DawnNews showed that the population of Karachi's 20 constituencies was 21.35 million in 2013.

The data, he had said, was based on B-forms and was used to create voter lists for the 2013 General Election.

Responding to the points raised, federal minister Baligh-ur-Rehman claimed that the census has been widely accepted and that army and provincial government personnel had been a part of the process.

He said that Nadra data could not be used in place of census data, as a number of people are not registered with the authority. The minister also said that a national policy on population was being prepared and would be presented soon.

Senate delegation visits GHQ

A delegation comprising members of defence committees of the Senate and National Assembly, headed by Senator Gen Retd Abdul Qayyum, visited General Headquarters (GHQ), Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

The delegation met with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, laid wreath at GHQ’s Shuhada Monument and was briefed on "evolving security environment including situation on the borders and Pakistan Army's efforts for peace and security."