Four hundred foreign students studying in different madrassas (religious seminaries) across Punjab without local documentation would be sent back to their home countries, said Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif while addressing a press conference on Wednesday.
He said that a list of these students has been sent to the federal government, adding that his government would use all means and resources to end the menace of terrorism and extremism from the province.
“It is a high-time to end terrorism. It’s now or never. All those Afghan immigrants who don’t have a permit will also be sent back,” he said.
“We are importing 1,000 biometric machines which would be linked to the NADRA database and can verify if a person is a Pakistani citizen or not.” he added.
He said hundreds of elements who are supportive of terrorists or are involved in terrorism in anyway were arrested in the province, adding that matters of prosecution were also being completed quickly.
“A counter-terrorism force has been established and the force will be provided with bulletproof jackets and helicopters to fight terrorism,” he said.
A Quick Response Force and a Rapid Response Force have also been established, he added.
The chief minister said that terrorism could not be rooted out overnight.
He also said that the government has taken serious notice of wall-chalking by Daesh in Punjab.
He said that “fatwa” of “kufar” and killing in the name of Islam are not appropriate nor the government will allow such “fatwas”.
He said that with the consultation of the Apex Committee, 43 cases of terrorism have been sent to the federal government to be referred to the military courts, out of which, ten have been finalised.
