Islamabad: Amid a thorny debate in political circles over the conduct of elections in Punjab in mid-May, the top civil and military leadership on Friday reaffirmed their commitment to thwart terror threats and vowed to re-launch the National Action Plan (NAP) within 15 days to crush militants reportedly coming in from Afghanistan.
Without directly blaming the previous PTI government for the resurgence of terrorism in tribal districts along the border with Afghanistan, they agreed to initiate new multi-pronged and comprehensive operations, as well as combined efforts on the diplomatic, security, economic, and social fronts for the elimination of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
A committee formed for the purpose would present its recommendations within two weeks to implement the policy and draw its parameters.
The decisions were made at the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Baber, Naval Chief Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi, chief ministers of four provinces, and federal cabinet members attended the meeting.
The NSC’s decision to launch a massive operation may further shrink the chances of elections in Punjab, two days after the government had categorically refused to implement the court order regarding May 14 polls.
It was in this context that PTI Chairman Imran Khan, commenting on the convening of the NSC meeting, said that the government wanted to pit the armed forces of the country not against the judiciary, but against the nation.
Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, while talking to Dawn, said that holding elections in Punjab was not on the agenda of the NSC meeting and that was why the issue was not discussed in the civil and military leadership’s huddle. She, however, confirmed that a fresh NAP-like operation against militancy would start within 15 days.
Earlier, two similar plans had been launched in the country — first during Gen Pervez Musharraf’s regime in 2002 and the second during the previous PML-N rule in 2014.
Terrorists’ return
An official press release issued by the PM Office said, “NSC approved a multi-pronged comprehensive operation with the support of the government and the nation to eradicate the menace of terrorism from the country with a new resolve, determination, and valor”.
Courtesy: Dawn 2023
