Nisar sees foreign hand behind terror

• Asks media to guide Interior Ministry in corneringand blacklisting terrorists

Minister for Interior Affairs ChaudhryNisar Ali Khan on Saturday said that foreign hand wasinvolved behind terrorist activities in Pakistan and funding,financing and strategic planning behind terrorism incidents was ofenemies.

Addressing the consultation meeting along with State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, he said that he deemed it inappropriate to do politics by using the name of war against terrorism. He said that he had to face criticism after theincident of Sehwanbomb blast whose security was purely subject of the provincial government.

“Sindh chief secretary was asked to explain security measuresbefore Sehwan incident but he had nothing to reply,”Nisarsaid, adding that security of the shrine was provincialresponsibility but even he was criticised on it. He said it was the mutual responsibility ofall stakeholders to ensure implementation on 20-point National ActionPlan (NAP).

He informed the gathering that 10 points were responsibility of theprovinces, four of the Interior Ministry, four of other ministries andone point was about the army. The InteriorMinistry was criticised for political point scoring in case of any discussion on NAP, he said. He urged the media to play key role in countering terrorism and to unite the nation by keeping feelings of fear and depression away from them.

Pakistan Today Editor ArifNizami, Sarmad Ali,MianAamirMehmud, MujeeburRehmanShami, ShakeelMasood, EjazulHaq, Mehtab Khan, ShaheenQureshi, Jameel Ahmed, TahirFarooq, UmerMujeebShami, AbdulBasit, Parliamentary Secretary Dr Muhammad AfzalDhandla and other senior officialsalso attended the meeting.

Answering questions, Nisarsaid that Pakistan has porous border of around 2500 kilometres with Afghanistan and there were multi-faceted issues in this regard.He said that 30,000 to 40,000 people used to travel earlier without documents through this border, with no policy to stop them or data-bank to check the movement of the people.

The minister said that effective measures have been taken to counterterrorism and the success story was due to efforts of all law enforcement agencies. He said that the Ministry of Interiorissued security alerts for several times. “I made strict accountability during internalmeetings but never publicly criticised any one by using the slot of the interior minister,” he added.

Hesaid that presidents and general secretariats of the All Pakistan Newspaper Society, Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors and the Pakistan Broadcasting Associationhave been invited to attend the consultative meeting.He said that the purpose to convene this meeting was to discuss one-point agenda of countering terrorism. Nisar said that the media has great strength and reach towards public and it should play role to motivate people by keeping them united and determined against terrorism.

Nisar said that the entire nation should be kept united and determined by media for ultimate victory in war against terrorism. He also said that the law and order situation has improved a lot during the last three and half years.He urged the media to keep courage and determination of peoplehigh in this war against terrorism.Like wars of 1965 and1971, it was the need of the hour tokeep spirit of people alive in war against terrorists, he said.

“We have won war on operational level and our enemy wouldnot be allowed to get our lives disturbed,” he said, and pointed out that it was decided in the PM House to launch the RadulFasadoperation as it was against terrorists and theirfacilitator alike Zarb-e-Azb which was against terrorists at borderareas. “Our government ensured legislation for the prevention ofcyber crime despite hurdles on it,” he said.

Nisar said that the media can’t be restricted and itsrole is important to win war against terrorism.He urged the senior journalists and owners of the media outlets to further consider as how to corneror blacklist terrorists and inform the government about expectationswith it.In the end, State Minister Marriyumthanked all the participants for attending the meeting.