ISLAMABAD --Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday formed a committee to ensure speedy and effective implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) against terrorism.
The newly formed committee under the supervision of the prime minister would oversee progress on counter-terrorism policy.
"I would myself oversee the enforcement of the action plan," said the prime minister, addressing a consultative meeting held under his chairmanship to chalk out strategy for speedy action against terrorists.
"To me zero tolerance is zero tolerance. Violence in any form against my people equals terror, and our polity and our army is very clear on it. We shall come down hard on it," the prime minister said. He said the operation Zarb-e-Azb against the terrorists hiding in tribal areas and action of law enforcement agencies in the cities was an important turn in the country's history.
The meeting was attended by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, SAFRON Minister Abdul Qadir Baloch and Adviser to PM on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz. Reports suggested that all of them have also been made members of the implementation committee.
"As we assembled here to follow up the progress on our counter terrorism policy, let me remind each one of us that we shall not let the memory of Peshawar carnage fade away till we wipe terror out of Pakistan," the prime minister remarked.
PM said the historic consensus, reached on December 24, would guide the nation."Since we have a historic national consensus, let us proceed with our national duty.” He said today's Pakistan was a changed one and there was full resolve to weed out terror from the motherland. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said an irreversible phase of fighting terrorism has started. An anti-terrorism force would soon be raised in collaboration with the defence ministry, he added.
The PM said he would frequently get updates from the provincial governments on the implementation of the action plan, besides visiting all the provinces himself for the purpose. He observed that consensus among political leadership would help eradicate terrorism and zero tolerance meant complete elimination of the menace from the country.
He directed the ministry of finance and State Bank of Pakistan to plug funding sources of terrorists. He further assigned the attorney general to hold consultation with the political leadership for bringing necessary legal and constitutional amendments for implementation of the plan.
PM Nawaz said the role of police and law enforcement agencies was critical in the elimination of terrorism. He also called for banning hate literature and material that promotes militancy and sectarianism. The prime minister said that strict action would be taken against those involved in the forced marriages of girls from minority communities, adding that such exploitation would not be tolerated.
COUNTER-TERROR FORCE CONSTITUTED
Monitoring adds: The government has constituted a federal counter-terrorism force with immediate effect.
A media report quoted sources as saying that the force would work under the Ministry of Defence. "The force would be deployed across Pakistan and would be responsible solely for countering terrorism."
The force would also keep contact with civilian, military-intelligence security agencies and its counter-terrorism wings, said the report.
Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid has said that the proposed special speedy trial courts are to be established under the Constitution after due legislation.
Speaking at a TV channel, he said that the purpose of military courts established by Martial Law regime was to suppress democratic voices while the proposed special courts would ensure protection of rights of the masses.
The Nation Pakistan
