March 15, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 6, 1429

RAWALPINDI, March 14: Governor Punjab Lt-Gen (retired) Khalid Maqbool on Friday said steps are being taken to stem the current wave of suicide and terrorist attacks.

He said the Crime Investigation Department (CID) had been strengthened and its network broadened, so that it could perform a pro-active role against terrorists.

The governor was briefing media persons at the office of regional police office on measures taken by the law-enforcement agencies to check suicide attacks and eliminate terrorism.

Besides others, RPO Nasir Khan Durrani, DPO Saud Aziz and SSP operation Yasin Farooq were also present on the occasion.

Mr Maqbool said the government’s top priority was to check the ongoing wave of terrorism and suicide attacks which had scared the people.

“We would perform proactive and progressive role against terrorists. We want to improve security so that the loss could be reduced and for this purpose the CID has been strengthened,” he said.

Seeking public and media support against terrorism, the governor said all commercial organisations including banks had been directed to adopt security measures.

He said though terrorism cannot be eradicated in a single day but it can be checked by joint efforts of the government and the public.

The governor said he cannot rule out the links of banned militant outfits to the suicide and terrorist attacks in the country. “Its links could also be out of the country,” he added.

He said some people having links with militant organisations in the past had been taken into custody and were being investigated.

Briefing the governor on the security measures, the RPO proposed that joint police pickets should be established on different points on the motorway and GT road as these were vulnerable to terrorist attacks. He said police should also be allowed to carry out random checking on vehicles.—Staff Reporter