COAS says evil nexus of terrorists,corruption to be broken in Karachi

KARACHI: The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General Raheel Sharif, has said that the evil nexus between terrorism, criminal mafias, violence and corruption will be broken to ensure a peaceful and terror-free Karachi.
Chairing a security meeting at the V Corps Headquarters here on Tuesday, the army chief said the across-the-board operation will continue to eliminate terrorists, criminals and mafias from Karachi for a significant improvement in the security environment.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), General Raheel was briefed on the latest security situation in Karachi. The meeting was attended by senior officials, including DG Rangers Sindh Major General Bilal Akbar, DG ISPR Asim Bajwa, Corps Commander Karachi Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar, Sindh IGP Ghulam Hyder Jamali and representatives of intelligence agencies.
The army chief commended all ranks of the Rangers, police, intelligence agencies, and particularly the support of Karachi’s people. He approved an increase in the number of military courts in Karachi to decide terrorism cases. To build the capacity of the Karachi Police, in addition to their training, equipment worth Rs65 million was handed over to the police.
Before chairing the security meeting, the COAS visited the Shuhada Monument where he offered Fateha and laid a floral wreath. Afterwards, he pinned badges on Colonel Commandant Air Defence Lieutenant General Zameer and later spoke with officers and men.
Sources said the COAS also discussed the overall status of cases, including those which would be tried in the military courts. He also directed the police, Rangers and intelligence agencies to work jointly by developing coordination with each other.
Officials said the Sindh Police had finalised 10 high-profile terrorism cases for trial in military courts, including the Nishtar Park blast and the May 13 Safoora Goth bus attack. The police department has been scrutinising cases after its headquarters received orders from the Interior Ministry following the constitutional amendment for the establishment of military courts.
Initially, 102 terrorism cases were short-listed for further scrutiny. The number then came down to 64 and now 10 cases have been finalised for trial in military courts.
The police department was especially directed to select cases that involved religious extremism and sectarianism. The 10 selected cases involve suspected terrorists of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent.
According to the constitutional amendment through which these courts have been established this time, “an extraordinary situation and circumstances exist which demand special measures for speedy trial of certain offences relative to terrorism, waging of war or insurrection against Pakistan and prevention of acts threatening the security of Pakistan by the terrorist groups using the name of religion or a sect and also by the members of armed groups, wings and militias.
“There exists grave and unprecedented threat to the integrity of Pakistan and objectives set out in the preamble to the Constitution by the framers of the Constitution, from the terrorist groups by raising of arms and insurgency using the name of religion or a sect, or from the foreign and locally funded anti-state elements.
“It is expedient that the said terrorists groups including any such terrorists fighting while using the name of religion or a sect, captured or to be captured in combat with the armed forces or otherwise are tried by the courts established under the Acts mentioned hereinafter in Section 2.
“And whereas the people of Pakistan have expressed their firm resolve through their chosen representatives in the all parties conferences held in aftermath of the sad and terrible terrorist attack on the Army Public School at Peshawar on 16 December 2014 to permanently wipe out and eradicate terrorists from Pakistan, it is expedient to provide constitutional protection to the necessary measures taken hereunder in the interest of security and integrity of Pakistan.”