Sharif says govt going after terrorists and their abettors
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Wednesday said that the National Action Plan (NAP) against terrorism would be implemented in letter and spirit in close coordination with all provinces for complete elimination of terrorism.
“We have to implement this agenda and all provinces have to work hand in hand,” the prime minister said while chairing a NAP review meeting at the Prime Minister’s House.
PM Sharif said that the provinces must focus on the implementation of NAP and the Centre would assist them in every possible way as the NAP’s agenda was not prepared by the federal government alone but by the political leadership of the country.
The premier said that the government had immediately taken two steps after Peshawar’s tragic incident; the constitutional amendment and setting up of military courts.
Stressing that the implementation of NAP was the key to eradicate terrorism from the country, the PM said, “We will do everything to achieve this objective even if this involves special allocation of funds.”
The prime minister said the government’s seriousness should not be doubted. “We are not only going after the terrorists but also for those who are abetting them.”
“We have to succeed at all costs and there is no margin of error,” he said, adding that apex committees had carried out meetings in provinces, including seven that took place in Punjab. He hoped that other provinces would also continue holding meetings to coordinate security and to implement the plan.
Moreover, the prime minister said that capacity building of all law enforcement agencies was the government’s priority and stressed that transfers and postings in police should be merit-based.
All chief ministers and chief secretaries briefed the prime minister about progress on the implementation of NAP in their provinces. They discussed all 20 points of the plan one by one while Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan gave a briefing on their implementation status.
Matters relating to the registration of Afghan refugees also came under discussion.
Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Governor Mehtab Khan Abbasi, Defence Minister Khwaja Asif and Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif also attended the meeting.