LAHORE: The Punjab government has finally agreed to seek the help of Rangers in efforts to eradicate terrorism and extremism from the province, overcoming its reluctance to involve the paramilitary force in the task of improving law and order situation.

The provincial government had so far brushed aside suggestions to seek the centre’s help in tackling terrorism, asserting that its own police and Counter-Terrorism Department were capable of doing the job.

The decision was taken on Sunday at a meeting of the Provincial Apex Committee, which was presided over by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

The modus operandi for calling in the Rangers will, however, be determined later and the meeting formed a committee for the purpose.

Apex committee vows to take indiscriminate action against terrorists

On the occasion, Mr Sharif said the political and military leaderships were on the same page vis-a-vis the war on terrorism and the terrorists would be “held accountable for each drop of blood of innocent citizens shed by them”.

Opposition parties, particularly the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, have been calling for a Rangers-led operation in Punjab, much like the one being carried out in Karachi, against terrorists and extremists, but the ruling PML-N was opposing it.

The meeting was attended, among others, by National Security Adviser retired Lt Gen Nasser Khan Janjua, Lahore Corps Commander Lt Gen Sadiq Ali, provincial Minister for Counter Terrorism retired Col Muhammad Ayub, Punjab Rangers’ director general Maj Gen Azhar Naveed Hayat, General Officer Commanding Maj Gen Sardar Tariq Aman, Chief Secretary Zahid Saeed, Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera and Home Secretary Azam Sulaiman Khan.

The participants of the meeting, which lasted more than four hours, discussed various aspects of the counterterrorism measures needed, after being briefed on the arrest of suspects of the recent suicide attack in Lahore and the busting of the network behind the atrocity.

They also reviewed the progress made so far in the initiatives taken under the National Action Plan against terrorism, militancy, extremism and sectarian violence in the country.

They expressed deep concern over the use of Afghan soil by the terrorist network and pledged “to continue the war on terrorism until the elimination of the last terrorist”.

Sources quoted them as praising the work of the Counter-Terrorism Department and the Safe City Project, whose cameras helped identify the facilitator of the Lahore attack.

They decided to widen the intelligence-based antiterrorism operations and focus on the border districts of Punjab.

They also vowed to improve cooperation between various intelligence networks to tackle the internal and external challenges. The meetings of the provincial intelligence committee will be held on a regular basis.

They said that religious schools functioning in the tribal belt would be monitored closely and financial resources of extremist groups would be choked by banning the collection of funds by banned outfits.

The meeting resolved that action would be taken against all workers of the banned groups and that an indiscriminate operation would be undertaken against terrorists and their facilitators.

The meeting vowed to provide foolproof security to foreigners, particularly the Chinese citizens working on projects related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Published in Dawn, February 20th , 2017