NAP’s 20 points

Capital suggestion
On December 24, 2014, PM Nawaz Sharif, in a televised address, announced the National Action Plan (NAP). The PM stated:“We have to act fast and whatever is agreed we have to implement it immediately….this agreement is a defining moment for Pakistan and we will eliminate terrorists from this country.”
Here’s the progress report:
One: Implementation of death sentence of those convicted in cases of terrorism. Progress: Around a hundred people have been hanged. For the record: Over the past four years, 14,115 persons in terrorism-related cases were acquitted and 10,387 were granted bail. Imagine: a hundred hanged, 24,502 acquitted or bailed out!
Two: Special trial courts under the supervision of the army. Progress: Stalemated. Three: Militant outfits and armed gangs will not be allowed to operate in the country. Progress: Status quo.
Four: Nacta, the anti-terrorism institution will be strengthened. For the record: Nacta’s budget stands at Rs92 million a year of which Rs63 million goes into the salaries of the staff. Progress: None. Five: Strict action against literature, newspapers and magazines promoting hatred, decapitation, extremism, sectarianism and intolerance. Progress: Qari Abubakar of Kasur was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for delivering a hate speech at a public gathering. Reportedly, a total of 21 have been convicted in Punjab.
Six: All funding sources of terrorist and terrorist outfits will be frozen. Progress: Status quo. Seven: Defunct outfits will not be allowed to operate under any other name. Progress: Status quo. Eight: Establishing and deploying a dedicated counterterrorism force. Progress: None. Nine: End to religious extremism and protection of minorities will be ensured. Progress: Status quo.
Ten: Registration and regulation of religious seminaries. Progress: Stalled. Eleven: Ban on glorification of terrorists and terrorist organisations through print and electronic media. Progress: Status quo.
Twelve: Administrative and development reforms in Fata. Progress: None. Thirteen: Communication network of terrorists will be dismantled completely. Progress: Status quo. Fourteen: Concrete measures against promotion of terrorism through internet and social media. Progress: None. Fifteen: No room will be left for extremism in any part of the country. Progress: Status quo.
Sixteen: Ongoing operation in Karachi will be taken to its logical end. Progress: Stalemated. Seventeen: Balochistan government to be fully empowered. Progress: Status quo.
Eighteen: Action against elements spreading sectarianism. Progress: None. Nineteen: Formulation of a comprehensive policy to deal with the issue of Afghan refugees. Progress: An estimated three million Afghan refugees in Pakistan, of which 55,000 have gone back. Twenty: Reforms in criminal courts system. Progress: Zero.
In January 2015, apex committees were formed to expedite the implementation of the National Action Plan. For the record: 15 committees and sub-committees were set up. Progress: No formal notification. No Terms of Reference (TORs). No chain of command.
The ground reality: serious civil-military trust deficit. The ground reality continues to be that our generals do not trust our political leaders and vice versa. The generals are adamant that they have come out of their barracks to fight terror. The political leadership fears that the generals have come out of their barracks to capture their political domains.
December 24, 2014 all the way down to May 31, 2015 – going down the drain, down the drain!
“War does not determine who is right – only who is left” – Bertrand Russell
The writer is a columnist based in Islamabad. Email: farrukh15@hotmail.com
Twitter: @saleemfarrukh