Islamabad, March 18 (IANS) A crucial day-long, in-camera meeting of the Pakistan’s Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) on Tuesday vowed to eliminate terror elements with full force and took some major decisions to tackle the menace of terrorism in the country. The meeting, attended by the civil and military top brass, passed a declaration condemning terrorism in all of its forms.
The committee emphasised on a unified political and strategic approach, calling on a national consensus on counterterrorism efforts. It urged all stakeholders for an urgent and immediate implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) and the Azm-e-Istehkam strategy as part of the national counter-terrorism framework to root out terror networks, disrupt their logistical support, and sever links between terrorism and organised crime.
The committee reiterated its full support for the military establishment and the armed forces of Pakistan, acknowledging their sacrifices and commitment to national defence. It also raised serious concerns over what it termed as the misuse of social media platforms by terrorists and their supporters to spread anti-state propaganda, which the committee stated is also used for recruitment and coordinating attacks.
The committee stressed and warned that no group, individual, or institution collaborating with anti-state terror elements would be allowed to destabilise the country’s harmony and solidity.
The members were given a briefing about the country’s security situation by Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir.
It was also agreed that Pakistan will use its diplomatic outreach to engage with regional and global leaders and disseminate the challenges it is faced with in terms of security and terrorism. The committee vowed to use all resources and means to tackle the spread of anti-state activities in Pakistan, which it claimed were emanating from Afghanistan and its extended support to extremist militant groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
During the in-camera session, the military establishment gave a detailed briefing about the security situation in Pakistan’s violence-hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan provinces with insights into the ongoing counter-terrorism operations.
Interestingly, the session was boycotted by the opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which opposed any decision to carry out another military operation in the country. The absence of the PTI was criticised by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.
Sharif accused the previous Imran Khan government for allowing thousands of TTP militants in the country and also releasing hundreds of militants from the Pakistani jails. He said that the National Action Plan (NAP) that was introduced as the country’s strong resolve against terrorists was ignored during Khan’s tenure and the country is faced with fresh security challenges due to the former PM’s ignorance.
“It is because of the disastrous decision of the previous government that we are faced with the challenging situation today. It’s time that we all identify the faces of all those who are responsible for working against Pakistan’s national interest,” said Sharif.
Former Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also emphasised on the need to re-strategise the country’s foreign police and use it to engage the global community about the terrorism, that he said is radiating from Afghanistan.
Bhutto blasted Afghanistan as the country which he said has become the epicentre of terrorism.
“Afghanistan has become the epicentre of terrorism. Terrorism is being sponsored, supported, facilitated, harboured and being spread into Pakistan from Afghanistan,” he said.
Experts reckon that the coming days may be critical as Pakistan gives open approval to the military establishment and the law enforcement agencies to use all means necessary against terrorists spreading unrest in the country.
It is expected that cross-border counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan may also be approved.
–IANS
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