National Action Plan: PM convenes review meeting

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has convened a review meeting for implementation on his announcement, he made during televised speech on Wednesday night, Geo News reported.

On Thursday, the prime minister held a meeting with his political and legal advisors and issued directives for immediate implementation of the announcements.

Giving 20 points of the plan of action during his televised speech, he said that no militant groups would be allowed to work or be established; the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta) would be strengthened further and be made fully operational; no literature or journal would be allowed to be published which disseminated sectarian hatred and preached terrorism; the funding for terrorists would be choked; no outlawed organisation would be allowed to work under a new name; a new anti-terror task force is being established; the madrassas will be brought under the government’s discipline so that they cannot be used for spreading extremism.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced the constitution of special courts for two years under military officers to try terrorists.

The prime minister added that the electronic and print media would not be allowed to give publicity to terrorists; the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the tribal areas are being repatriated to their respective areas as rehabilitation work and development activities are being initiated in the area on a top priority basis; the communication network of the terrorists will be destroyed and their access to the social media and internet would be made impossible; the hideouts of the terrorists in any part of the country would be busted, including in Punjab; the operation in Karachi would continue till its logic conclusion; the stakeholders in Balochistan will be given adequate authority to work in the larger national interest.

He assured the people that the necessary legislation would be undertaken to curb elements promoting sectarian hatred. The registration of Afghan refugees is also being streamlined and provincial government’s would be provided access to the intelligence with regard to the communications of terrorists.

The prime minister said that the days of the terrorists were numbered in Pakistan and they would be dealt with an iron hand. He said that the terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar had changed Pakistan and strong action was needed to root out the menace of extremism from society.