QUETTA: A meeting presided over by Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri on Wednesday reviewed the progress made in implementing the National Action Plan (NAP) in Balochistan, and decided to adopt an aggressive policy for dealing with terrorists and extremists.

National Security Adviser retired Lt Gen Nasser Khan Janjua attended the meeting held to discuss the law and order situation in the province as did provincial Chief Secretary Aurangzeb Haq, Home Secretary Dr Akbar Harifal, Inspector General of Police Moazzam Jah Ansari and other senior officials.

The officials concerned briefed the meeting on the implementation of NAP after which the functionaries and officials attending it expressed satisfaction over the efforts being made in this regard.

However, they underlined the need for adopting an aggressive policy instead of a defensive one against terrorists of all “types and manifestation”.

It was decided that firm and effective action would be taken against terrorists, their facilitators, extremists and their safe havens. The security forces would now take the fight to terrorists and extremists instead of adopting a defensive approach.

The participants vowed to deal with the terrorists and extremists with an iron fist, keeping in view the extraordinary situation in the country.

It was decided that a board would soon be established in which ulema of all schools of thought would be included.

Keeping in view the extraordinary interest of Chief Minister Zehri, the meeting decided to establish a counterterrorism force in the province to deal with various incidents of terrorism. The members of the Elite Force and the Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF) would also be included in it.

The army had already trained around 2,000 personnel for the purpose and 1,000 more would be given antiterrorism training, making the force even more effective.

The participants of the meeting were also briefed on the use of motorbikes by the police force to combat street crimes in the provincial capital. Similar outfits would be established in all the divisional headquarters of Balochistan, it was announced.

The Balochistan Levies force was being revamped and better trained to effectively combat terrorists and miscreants in other parts of the province. The chief minister vowed to make the Balochistan Levies a vibrant force of the province.

The meeting was informed that 16 cases pertaining to terrorism would be referred to the court of law soon. The officials concerned, mainly the police and prosecution department, were advised to remain ready to fight the cases in courts.

The meeting observed that there was a marked improvement in the law and order situation in the province following joint actions undertaken against terrorists in all parts of Balochistan. The meeting pledged that the current momentum against the terrorists would be maintained at all costs.

“They will not be allowed to regroup and reunite and fight another battle,” the participants of the meeting said.

It was officially declared that the so-called Balochistan Liberation Movement had been defeated squarely and a large number of people had laid down their weapons and joined the national mainstream.

At the same time, the people of Balochistan had rejected it, the official announcement said.

The meeting praised the security forces for bravely fighting the religious extremists, fanatics and sectarian terrorists and for inflicting heavy losses on the fanatics and sectarian terrorists.

The meeting, however, expressed concern over the fact that terrorists were entering Pakistan from the neighbouring countries.

The chief minister issued instructions to police and other law enforcement agencies to attack and destroy all bases of terrorists and safe havens.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2017