The Federal Apex Committee of the National Action Plan on Tuesday approved a comprehensive military operation against terrorist organisations operating in Balochistan and targeting civilians and foreign nationals to hamper the country’s economic progress by creating insecurity at the “behest of hostile external powers”.
The country has lately witnessed a sharp uptick in the number of attacks targeting security forces, other law enforcement agencies, and security checkpoints, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
At least 26 people, including 16 security personnel, lost their lives and 61 others were injured in a suicide bombing at a Quetta railway station earlier this month. The banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the blast, stating that its Majeed Brigade had carried out the attack.
The agenda of today’s apex committee meeting focused on “Reinvigorating Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism (CT) Campaign”.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired the meeting in Islamabad, attended by the federal cabinet, provincial chief ministers, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir and senior government officials, according to a press release from the PM Office.
According to the press release, the military operation was approved against the following proscribed outfits: BLA, Majeed Brigade, Balochistan Liberation Front and Balochistan Raaji Ajoi-R-Sangar.
The participants were briefed on the evolving security landscape and the measures being taken to counter terrorism and other critical challenges, including general law and order situation, actions against efforts to stoke sub-nationalism, religious extremism, tackling the illegal spectrum and crime-terror nexus, subversion and disinformation campaigns, among other issues.
The committee highlighted the necessity of a unified political voice and a cohesive national narrative to effectively address the multifaceted challenges.
It was emphasised in the meeting that political support across party lines and complete national consensus were critical to reinvigorating the national CT campaign under the framework of Vision Azm-i-Istehkam.
The participants also agreed to revitalise the National Counter Terrorism Authority and establish the National and Provincial Intelligence Fusion and Threat Assessment Centre.
A whole-of-system approach was adopted, incorporating diplomatic, political, informational, intelligence, socio-economic and military efforts to address issues comprehensively.
Specific emphasis was placed in the meeting on strengthening collaboration between federal and provincial governments and between relevant institutions and ministries to ensure seamless execution of the CT campaign.
It was decided to establish district coordination committees under the Provincial Apex Committees to ensure the implementation of directions received from federal and provincial governments. The forum demonstrated political resolve to dismantle the ecosystem of illegal spectrum and crime-terror nexus.
At the conclusion, the prime minister directed all stakeholders to pursue the outlined initiatives with vigour, ensuring their timely implementation.
He underscored the importance of sustained, coordinated efforts to protect Pakistan’s sovereignty, ensure the safety of its citizens and reinforce economic and social stability.
COAS Munir reiterated the Pakistan Army’s unwavering resolve to eliminate all threats to national security and provide robust support to the government’s initiatives aimed at ensuring peace and stability.
Those who obstruct Pakistan’s security to face consequences: COAS
Gen Munir said that all those who obstructed Pakistan’s security or tried to stop them from performing their duty would face the consequences.
The COAS said everyone must collectively fight the menace of terrorism.
“Every Pakistani is a soldier in the war against terrorism, whether in uniform or not,” he said.
“The Constitution of the country is supreme for all of us. The Constitution holds us responsible for ensuring the internal and external security of Pakistan,” the army chief said.
He added that the personnel of armed forces and other law enforcement agencies were compensating for shortcomings in governance on a daily basis through the sacrifices of their martyrs.
PM links economic, political stability with end to terrorism
PM urged all of the political leadership to continue lending their helping hands to the federation in overcoming economic challenges, adding that doing so was requisite to financial and political stability in the country.
The prime minister also clearly linked the stability and peace in the country with the complete elimination of terrorism.
The prime minister said that because of the economic efforts and sincerity of purpose shown by all stakeholders in the governments from the provincial chief ministers to the federation, the country was moving on the path to stability.
He commended the efforts put forth by all the federal and provincial governments, saying that without it, the country could not move forward.
The prime minister said economic and political stability were interrelated and no society could aspire to progress without these two vital factors.
“It is imperative for the economic and political stability that all the leadership should play their due role,” he added.
He also thanked the provincial governments for their support in getting the approval of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, adding that all the provincial chief ministers had fully supported it.
PM Shehbaz opined that all indicators were showing stability in the process, however, he stressed that the country’s path to progress would open further when investment was enhanced.
The prime minister expressed confidence that it would be the last IMF programme in Pakistan’s history if all stakeholders worked with honesty, integrity and dedication.
He also emphasised the need to broaden the tax net, besides overcoming the issues of leakage and evasion of billion rupees taxes, circular debt, gas and power theft which would supplement the national coffer, thus getting rid of the foreign debts.
“All have to give lending hands; it is not about you and me; it is about us. Then the country will move forward,” he said, adding that during the past eight months, there was no governance scam which reflected the strength of the incumbent setup.
“We have to move in unison, though it may be a difficult task but no nation can emerge successful without unity,” he noted.
The prime minister said the country’s progress and prosperity were linked with peace and an end to terrorism.
He said, recently, this spectre again raised its head in KP and Balochistan which required questions to be answered.
The premier warned that if not eliminated completely, all the participants’ efforts for economic and political stability would come to nought.
He termed terrorism as a huge challenge for Pakistan and stressed that its head should be crushed.
The prime minister also asked for reconsideration of calls for political sit-ins at high-level events and advised political leaders to ponder over it with rational minds.
He said the country was no doubt dear to everyone, but the choice was for them to make.
