BAHAWALPUR, March 14: The government is tightening the noose against terrorists in and outside the country.

This was stated on Thursday by Punjab Governor Lt-Gen Khalid Maqbool (retired) on the occasion of pinning the badges of one-step promotion to the Bahawalpur police officials who killed Lashkar-i-Jhangvi’s terrorist in an encounter near Khairpur Tamewali the other day.

The governor said the terrorists did not belong to any religion and they worked under the garb.

He said the killing of alleged terrorist Shakil, carrying head-money of Rs1.3 million, had brought a sigh of relief to the people.

With the constitution of new anti-terrorism courts, Mr Maqbool said the terrorists would be awarded deterrent punishment by law. He hoped that the Bahawalpur police would leave no stone unturned to nab the culprits.

Those decorated included CIA SP Nizam Shahid Durrani, CIA inspector Naveed Ikram, two ASIs Abbas and Muhammad Mairaj and five rolled constables Mustafa, Gul Zareen, Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Majid and Manzoor Ahmad.

Meanwhile, Dawn learnt that police officials had been finalizing lists of those who provided refuge to LJ’s hitman Shakil Anwar alias Mustafa in the Bahawalpur district’s two tehsils Hasilpur and Khairpur Tamewali.