ISLAMABAD, July 13: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Friday presided over a meeting which approved new security measures to control the deteriorating law and order situation in the country, especially in the NWFP and tribal areas.
Sources said that the meeting discussed the Lal Masjid operation and its possible fallout and decided to tighten security in and around government and security agencies’ installations.
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Vice-Chief of the Army Staff Gen Ahsan Saleem Hayat, Minister for Interior Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, Minister for Religious Affairs Ijazul Haq, Minister of State for Interior Chaudhry Zafar Warraich, Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani, Minister of State for Information Tariq Azim and ISI chief Ashfaq Kiani. The sources quoted President Musharraf as saying that the federal and provincial security forces and intelligence agencies should increase their coordination to check the spread of illegal arms.
Gen Musharraf praised Chaudhry Shujaat for making concerted efforts to end the Lal Masjid standoff. “Chaudhry Sahib you are a peace-loving man … You should be given a ‘man of peace’ award,” the president was quoted as having said during the meeting.
The meeting was also briefed on the Lal Masjid operation.
The president stressed the need for quick enforcement of madressah reforms in consultation with all stakeholders, particularly the Wafaqul Madaris. He ordered immediate steps for restoration of Lal Masjid.
Minister of State for Information Tariq Azim told this correspondent that the meeting reviewed the security situation. He said that the president had ordered the authorities concerned to identify the militants involved in suicide attacks in Miramshah and Swat.
He said that the meeting was informed that about 12,000 madressahs had been registered but 3,000 more were expected to be enrolled soon.
“All madressahs will be thoroughly scrutinised,” he said.
Mr Azim rejected an impression that madressah reforms had failed and said that it was incorrect to say that the government was no longer pursuing madressah reforms.
“On the contrary, these reforms are being carried out with the help of Wafaqul Madaris. Their implementation would be accelerated now,” he said.
He said that the government was investigating about how such a large number of weapons had been stocked in Lal Masjid.
Referring to the controversy over the Jamia Hafsa death toll, he said the president had directed the officials concerned to come up with exact figures. “There is no reason for the government to hide anything. Everything is being made public,” he said.
According to Mr Azim, the meeting was informed that it had become apparent from the layout of fortifications, deployment of weapons and other evidence collected from Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa compound that it had been planned by hardened militants and terrorists. This was further supported by the stiff resistance encountered by the security forces during the operation. Security forces had exercised extreme restraint and, as a result, suffered more casualties during the operation because they tried to ensure the safety and release of innocent people held hostage by terrorists, the meeting was informed.
The president praised the professionalism, devotion to duty and, above all, the restraint shown by the security forces during the operation.
