— Huddle agrees uprooting terrorism is linked to political stability, economic recovery
— Agrees to evolve consensus on national issues, remove obstacles in national cohesion
ISLAMABAD: The Central Apex Committee (CAC) on Friday affirmed that eliminating terrorism from the country was interlinked with economic recovery and political stability.
According to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office issued today, the meeting was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad and was attended by Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir, federal ministers, chief ministers, senators, heads of sensitive civil, police and military institutions, chief secretaries and other high-level officials.
The CAC meeting reviewed terrorist incidents in detail, particularly the Peshawar Police Lines blast, the Karachi Police Office attack and the subsequent situation. An official handout said that representatives from sensitive institutions briefed the meeting on the KPO attack and the facts that had emerged so far about the situation.
“The meeting agreed that the elimination of terrorism, economic recovery and political stability are interlinked. Pakistan cannot afford internal instability. National unity and collective struggle are the need of the hour. In order to achieve these goals, a national consensus should be created and obstacles should be removed,” the press release reads.
The meeting affirmed that national security and protection of the people’s life and property was a basic constitutional duty which had to be performed with “national spirit, sincerity, focus and best ability”.
The CAC paid tribute to law enforcement agencies and officers for “showing unprecedented courage and bravery against terrorism across the country” and also paid accolades to those martyred.
The meeting also deliberated on the issue of the non-availability of funds sanctioned in the past for Karachi’s police and security and directed that “obstacles in the way of completion of all projects related to police, counter-terrorism department and security should be removed without delay.”
“The federation will provide full support and assistance to the provinces in fulfilling the responsibilities of peace and order,” the press release added.
The CAC also reviewed the progress on the National Action Plan’s implementation and the decisions taken in a previous apex committee meeting.
The meeting was also informed about the progress on measures to make stages of investigation, prosecution and punishment effective against terrorists.
The CAC meeting comes as terrorism in Pakistan has been rearing its head again. Over the past few months, the law and order situation in the country — especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan has worsened — with terrorist groups executing attacks with near impunity across the country.
Since the talks with the banned militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke down in November, the militant group has intensified its attacks, mainly targeting the police in KP and areas bordering Afghanistan. Insurgents in Balochistan have also stepped up their violent activities and formalised a nexus with the outlawed TTP.
Last Friday, the Karachi Police Office was attacked by TTP militants, leaving five people dead and 17 others, mostly law enforcers, wounded. Last month, a powerful suicide blast in a mosque in Peshawar Police Lines killed 84 people and injured many others.
In the apex committee meeting on Feb 3, PM Shehbaz had said it considered proposals for revision of the NAP and approved a slew of measures to improve the investigation, forensics and working of the CTD.
The committee had agreed that the federal and provincial governments would adopt a uniform strategy to eliminate terrorism and ordered an effective strategy to be prepared in this regard.
The press release stated that the CAC also deliberated on the media’s role, particularly social media, during terrorist incidents and operations of security forces.
The meeting was briefed that during the course of security operations, information can be aired on the media which benefits terrorists and their facilitators, impact the operation and endanger the lives of officers.
It was recommended in the meeting that guidance should be taken from regulations and standard operating procedures governing terrorism and cyberspace in other parts of the world so the appropriate procedures can be formulated, in consultation with media houses and relevant stakeholders, so that rumours, misleading information or spreading fear in emergency situations can be prevented so as not to create problems for security operatives.
“The meeting also decided that a focal person should be assigned the responsibility to provide facts to the media and public in an emergency situation,” the press release reads.
Earlier in the day at the meeting’s outset during his address, the prime minister said the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) had become a “dormant institution”.
Elaborating on the formation of the National Action Plan, he said the previous PML-N government had invited stakeholders for a “comprehensive discussion” which led to the plan’s formation.
