Federation to help provinces fight terrorism: Nawaz

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Monday said the federation would provide all possible facilities and intelligence sharing to the provinces to deal with terrorism.

Chairing a meeting on internal security and the National Action Plan (NAP) at the Prime Minister’s House here, Nawaz expressed his resolve to make Pakistan a safe place for the people of all religions and ethnicities.

Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Minister for Finance Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, National Security Advisor (NSA) Lieutenant General (retd) Nasser Khan Janjua, Secretary to the Prime Minister (SPM) Fawad Hasan Fawad, DG ISI Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar, DG Intelligence Bureau (IB) Aftab Sultan and other senior government officials attended the meeting.

Another meeting will take place next week which will be attended by General Raheel Sharif and the other services chiefs.

Nawaz said operation Zarb-e-Azb had broken the back of terrorists and extremists and they were on the retreat.

He said the operation and implementation of NAP had been instrumental in establishing peace in the country.

He said measures were being taken to ensure that terrorists could not come back to areas from where they had been expelled. General Nasser Khan Janjua, who visited Iran last week, briefed the meeting about his visit.

The meeting dilated on the internal security situation and different aspects of NAP. Nawaz lauded the performance of law enforcement agencies (LEAs) for maintaining peace and security in the country. 

“Terrorists and extremists are running from the country due to the countless sacrifices rendered by our valiant law enforcement agencies, unflinching resolve of the entire nation and efforts of the federal and provincial governments,” the prime minister stated. 

He reminded that extremist ideology was a global threat.  “Being the frontline state in the war on terror, Pakistan confronted the blowback of terrorists for several years, he added.

“No other country has suffered to the extent Pakistan has been affected socially and economically while fighting the scourge of terrorism and extremism.

We will make Pakistan secure for every ethnicity and religion. The country is on the right track and the government will enable citizens to reap the benefits of a secure, stable and prosperous Pakistan,” the prime minister added.

Minorities in Pakistan have faced numerous casualties for more than a decade following rise in extremism and terrorism. Nawaz said Pakistan had suffered socially and economically since it began to fight extremism and terrorism.

"No other country has suffered to this extent," he contended. He lauded the efforts of security forces and said he believed the NAP and Operation Zarb-e-Azb had played a major role in cutting down the frequency of terror activities in the country.

"The world has acknowledged that the overall security situation of the country has significantly improved due to the ongoing NAP and the operation,” he said. "The gains in the NAP and operation Zarb-e-Azb, and progress achieved so far will be consolidated through well-coordinated and concerted efforts at the federal and provincial levels with the backing of the national resolve," the prime minister said.