ISLAMABAD, Oct 11: The government directed the law enforcement agencies on Thursday to immediately launch a massive crackdown on law breakers, including those Afghan refugees who damaged public and private properties.

The directives were given at an inter-provincial meeting of the officials presided over by President Gen Pervez Musharraf to review the law and order situation.

The meeting directed the law enforcement agencies to get hold of those who were involved in setting fire government buildings and other public and private properties.

The law enforcement agencies were asked to maintain close coordination to ensure that mosques and other religious premises were not used for creating hatred.

Sources said the meeting was told that some of the extremist religious parties were using Afghan refugees to create a law and order situation in the country.

The meeting decided to detain those Afghan refugees who were creating law and order situation and deport them immediately.

The president, sources said, sounded a strong warning to extremist religious elements and Afghan refugees and asked them to desist from creating a law order situation or be ready to face a serious action.

The meeting was attended by all the four governors, corps commanders, ministers for interior, religious affairs and state and frontier region, Vice Chief of the Army Staff Gen Yousef, home secretaries and inspector generals of police of the provinces.

The sources said the president expressed his satisfaction that majority of the people of Pakistan had demonstrated an extremely responsible attitude after the Sept 11 attacks on America.

They said the president expressed hope that people of Pakistan would refuse to play in the hands of religious extremists to create any law and order situation.

But he directed the law enforcement agencies to be highly vigilant and take swift and firm action against the violators of law.