Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General (DG) Zaheerul Islam has said various independent groups involved in anti-state activities under the Taliban umbrella are not interested in dialogue with the government and are just buying time till the United States forces exit Afghanistan in 2014.
The ISI DG was present in Raiwind for a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan‚ Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani‚ Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid and DGs of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Rangers also attended the meeting.
The Army and ISI chiefs briefed the prime minister on national security issues, which will help to settle the government’s stance on talks with the Taliban, All Parties Conference (APC) and strategy to tackle terrorism.
According to sources, it was decided in the meeting that the Army and ISI chiefs would brief the participants of the APC on national security issues and would also answer their questions.
The Rangers DG briefed the prime minister on the targeted operation in Karachi to curb extortion, kidnapping, terrorism and targeted killings.
The premier expressed satisfaction over the briefing and said, “Extraordinary circumstances require a sustained response of law enforcement machinery for bringing back peace in Karachi as policies do not change on a daily basis.”
Nawaz said the law enforcing agencies would have to perform as the government wants to make Karachi the ‘city of lights’ once again.
Sharif called for amending the Anti-Terrorism Law in accordance with the guidelines of the superior judiciary.
The prime minister also issued directions for immediately blocking all illegal and unregistered SIMs across the country and directed that more steps be taken to bring peace in Karachi to restore the people’s confidence in the law enforcement agencies.
He reiterated his government’s commitment to provide all possible assistance to the Sindh government in this regard.
“The government wants to root out terrorism and make the country peaceful,” Nawaz said, adding that foreign investment and economic development were not possible without peace in the country.
He said the terrorists wanted to weaken the country. “We will have to unite to defeat terrorism,” he said.
The prime minister directed the authorities concerned to expedite the process of removal of flaws in the prosecution to ensure foolproof security to citizens and a sustained deterrence against the criminals.