Abstract
Pakistani society during the 1950s-1960s was a much harmonious, moderate, tolerant, and inclusive society with a progressive outlook. The era of the 1980s saw a major shift in the society, when core values exchanged hands with globalization, which, apart from its other benefits, also brought negative trends of extremist tendencies, polarization, and exclusive approach in the society. Unity in diversity was no more our strength, where extremist elements started imposing their beliefs on others. Educational reforms of the early 1980s have discouraged the art of questioning among the nation as a whole, whereby, pedagogical construct was redesigned to discourage critical reasoning by students and a culture of following rules, procedures and dogmas was promoted. Lack of critical thinking skills served the elites and policymakers of the time, but in the long run, had devastating ramifications on the nation as a whole. The society moved from inclusive to exclusive approach, from progressive to regressive trends, from tolerant to intolerant dispositions. This study highlights the importance of critical thinking skills in our education system and draws a linkage that lack of these skills in our society is a cause for our extremist tendencies and intolerant behaviour. With critical thinking, problems are analyzed in totality for a logical solution. The menace of extremism in our society can be addressed by revisiting our educational mosaic under the ambit of critical thinking skills.