- PM, COAS renew commitment against terrorism with passing out parade of new Counter-Terrorism Force in Punjab
- Sharif urges other provinces to follow Punjab and establish counter terrorism forces for effective implementation of NAP
- COAS says Pakistan Army has improved its capacity for training and is fully committed to capacity-building of LEAs
While addressing the passing-out ceremony of the first batch of Counter-Terrorism Force at Elite Police Training School in Lahore on Saturday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif expressed determination to the cleanse the country of terrorism.
Addressing the ceremony attended by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan among others, the premier stated that the government will not rest till the elimination of terrorism.
“The protection of lives and properties of people and maintenance of law and order is our foremost priority. The entire nation and institutions have taken a decision that the war on terror will be won at all costs as it is the matter of our future generations and economic prosperity,” PM Sharif said.
“The war on terror is the war of entire nation. On one hand our armed forces are engaged in Operation Zarb-e-Azb while on the other hand the national institutions and federal and provincial governments are striving to weed out terrorism under the National Action Plan,” the premier elaborated.
Sharif said that the establishment of Counter-Terrorism Force is also a part of the action plan. He said that this force will be equipped with modern security gadgets and provided necessary training. Besides, its strength will also be further enhanced with the passage of time. He expressed confidence that other provinces will also follow the suit of Punjab province and establish Counter-Terrorism Force.
“Our people, including children, women and security personnel, have rendered matchless sacrifices in the war on terror. The blood of martyrs will serve as a beacon of light for the entire nation.”
Referring to the Shikarpur tragedy, he said the incident has aggrieved the entire nation. He expressed determination that such deplorable incidents will further bolster resolve to rid the country of terrorism.
Moreover, he said that he will soon visit Karachi and Quetta to personally monitor the situation. He said it will take time to free the country of terrorists but the process has started. “We will not remain oblivious to our responsibilities,” he assured.
COAS IS DETERMINED:
Addressing on the occasion, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif said that the Pakistan Army has greatly improved its capacity of training and the scope of this would be extended to the entire country.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the COAS said that the Pakistan Army is fully committed to enhance the capacity of all the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in the country.
The ISPR said that according to the National Action Plan (NAP), the process of competence-building of the police is ongoing. It went on to say that the first batch of the Elite Police Force in Lahore has passed out and the training was carried out by officers of the Special Services Group (SSG).
On the occasion, the personnel of Counter-Terrorism Force demonstrated their skills to apprehend the terrorists. The prime minister also distributed certificates and cash prizes amongst the outstanding officers.
