Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has declared that the government in coordination with the provinces will deliver a crushing defeat to the terrorists and “Our Jehad to eradicate this menace from the country will continue,” reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Chairing a high-level meeting in Islamabad Friday on law and order situation in the country, Shehbaz Sharif reiterated his government’s resolve to continue the fight against terrorism, saying that the enemies of Pakistan were afraid of its economic successes. “Our Jehad to uproot terrorism from the country will continue. We will inflict such a crushing defeat on terrorists that they won’t dare look at Pakistan with ill-intent again,” he added.
Appreciating the efforts and decisive actions by all institutions and provinces against terrorism, he assured the federal government’s full cooperation in enhancing the capacity of all provinces for the purpose.
The prime minister called for setting aside all differences and working together to eliminate terrorism and lauded the security forces personnel and officers confronting terrorists and sacrificing their lives.
Shehbaz instructed all the institutions to intensify their efforts against smuggling and tighten the noose around the human trafficking networks to bring the traffickers to justice. He directed the early completion of Safe City projects in major cities and appreciated the joint efforts by federal and provincial governments to promote a counter-terrorism narrative.
During the briefing to the prime minister, the relevant authorities stated that a National and Provincial Intelligence Fusion and Threat Assessment Center has been established under NACTA.
It was told that the Safe City project was operational in ten cities of Punjab. The projects are also being implemented in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, and Nawabshah. The same has been approved for Peshawar and would be extended to Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, and Lakki Marwat in the next phase.
The participants of the meeting were told that Gwadar Safe City project would be completed soon and similar projects would be implemented in all major cities along National Highways N-25 and N-40.
The Digital enforcement stations are being established on various highways and bridges to curb smuggling. Federal and provincial governments are taking action to remove all illegal constructions around major urban centres and a crackdown is underway against begging mafias nationwide, and measures are being taken to restrict their overseas travel.
It was told that a Forensic Science Agency had been established in Islamabad, and the Punjab Forensic Science Agency was being further upgraded.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers Azam Nazeer Tarar, Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Ahad Khan Cheema, and Attaullah Tarar, Advisor to PM Rana Sanaullah, Minister of State Talal Chaudhry, KP CM’s Adviser Barrister Saif, GB Interior Minister Shamsul Haq Lone, AJK Interior Minister Col (retd) Waqar Noon, chief secretaries and inspectors general of police from all provinces, GB, AJK and Islamabad, besides Chief Commissioner Islamabad.
Reporter Awais Kiyani