National Action Plan to be monitored

Slow implementation of eight points identified;
high-level task force to be constituted for monitoring; political consensus to be developed on extension in tenure of military courts; CMs to be consulted

ISLAMABAD: Expressing the resolve that the state will rid the country of terrorism with all its might, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Thursday announced the constitution of a high-level task force to monitor the progress on the National Action Plan (NAP).

Nawaz chaired a high echelon meeting at the Prime Minister’s House on security for the second day.

Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif, federal ministers and top security officials attended the meeting.

The monitoring committee would comprise representatives of departments and agencies concerned and also of federal and provincial governments.

The NAP was strategised in the wake of December 2014 Army Public School, Peshawar, attack that left 144 dead, mostly children.

A report presented to the prime minister on NAP identified slow implementation of eight out of 20 points.

According to the report, law enforcement agencies and provincial governments could neither stop the funding of terrorists nor recommendations to conclude criminals’ cases in less time filed.

It was also revealed that extremist outfits had started operating under different names.

Speaking on the occasion, Nawaz said terrorism will be eradicated with a renewed pledge and using the full strength of the state.

The decision to form a task force had been taken after four days of the Quetta terror suicide bombing in which 71 people were killed and scores injured, mostly lawyers.

The meeting also agreed to improve the level of communication and consultation among the intelligence and security agencies.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Prime Minister’s House said terrorists would be targeted with the use of full force.

The meeting reaffirmed that eradication of terrorism will remain the top priority of the government and state institutions.

The meeting reviewed various aspects of implementation of NAP and reiterated the resolve to eliminate terrorism and extremism from everywhere in country.

Restoration of complete peace and tranquility shall remain a top priority of the government and all the state institutions, the meeting resolved.

It was stressed that intelligence agencies perform a vital role in guaranteeing national security and safeguarding the national interest for which they will be provided with all the necessary resources and support.

The meeting took a strategic view of regional and internal security situation and in that context also focused on the latest trends of activities of hostile intelligence agencies to destabilise Pakistan.

The participants agreed to scale up the existing efforts to neutralise the hostile elements through a coordinated and focused effort.

The prime minister directed that no effort be spared to ensure complete and effective implementation of the plan.

He emphasized the need to take result-oriented and time-bound actions, with a view to completely eliminating and eradicating terrorism in Pakistan.

The meeting that continued for more than six hours was also attended by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Minister for Finance Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi, National Security Adviser (NSA) Lt Gen (retd) Nasser Khan Janjua, Secretary to the Prime Minister (SPM) Fawad Hasan Fawad, DG ISI Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, DG IB Aftab Sultan, DG (C) Maj Gen Muhammad Humayun Saleem, DG (CT) Major General Tariq Qaddus, DGMI Maj Gen Nadeem Zaki Manj, DGMO Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza.

On this occasion, the prime minister felicitated the security institutions for their sacrifices to overcome terrorism.

A day earlier, the prime minister had asked the authorities concerned to follow a workable mechanism for communication between the civilian and military intelligence agencies from the platform of National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta). The meeting had also decided to resolve the funding constraints for implementing NAP.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan will announce the decisions taken in the meeting, in all likelihood at a news conference today (Friday) for the purpose, the sources said.

It was agreed that a political consensus would be developed on extension in the tenure of military courts and all the chief ministers (CMs) would be consulted in this regard.