| Apex Committee strongly condemns Peshawar attack | PM urges zero-tolerance for terrorism, hate speech | Says quick persecution of terrorists required to increase fear of Law | Stresses multi-pronged approach to thwart terror
By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said Monday the government has a zero-tolerance policy for terrorists and swift persecution is required to set an example out of terrorist elements.
The prime minister’s comments came as he chaired a meeting of the Apex Committee on National Action Plan (NAP) in Islamabad, a statement from the PM Office said.
The Apex Committee strongly condemned the Peshawar attack and offered condolences for the martyrs who lost their lives in the attack, the statement read.
Last Friday, more than 60 people lost their lives, while close to 200 sustained injuries after a suicide bomber entered a mosque and blew himself up at a mosque in the Qissa Khwani bazaar of Peshawar. During the meeting, the prime minister emphasised that a multi-pronged approach, full-spectrum and vigorous implementation of NAP was required to thwart the threat of terrorism.
He stressed taking proactive measures to tackle such incidents in future.
The premier further stated that “nefarious designs to destabilise the country” would never succeed as the entire nation is united to defeat the menace of terrorism.
He also said that the public realises that “elements are trying to create disharmony on the basis of sectarianism and hate speech, but the State will never allow such designs to succeed.” Meanwhile, emphasising the need to strengthen the role of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), the committee stressed coordinating measures essential for countering terrorism and capacity building of counter-terrorism departments.
The meeting, according to the statement, also highlighted that the provinces need to allocate more resources for conducting effective investigations by adopting scientific techniques and setting up modern forensic labs and to accord conclusive end to terrorism cases in courts of law.
Interior Division’s secretary presented a detailed briefing on the implementation status of NAP, including measures taken to choke terror financing, counter violent extremism, and investigation and prosecution of terrorism cases.
The secretary also briefed the meeting on the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards militancy, capacity building of law enforcement agencies, regulation and registration of seminaries, the merger of former FATA areas, reforms in the criminal justice system, eliminating sectarian terrorism, curbing smuggling, narco-traffic and human trafficking, the reconciliation process in Balochistan, and issues related to refugees.
The meeting was briefed that satisfactory implementation has been achieved on majority action points; however, support from provincial governments is required for inter-provincial issues.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers — Fawad Chaudhry, Sheikh Rasheed, Asad Umar — National Security Advisor Dr Moeed Yousaf, and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the statement said.
Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah, CM Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mehmood Khan, CM Balochistan Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, and CM Gilgit Baltistan Khalid Khursheed also attended the meeting.
Chief Secretaries, inspector generals of police, senior civil and military officers were also present.
