Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reaffirmed that the government’s resolve to eradicate terrorism will continue, as he claimed that Pakistan’s enemies are afraid of its economic successes.
“Our jihad to uproot terrorism from the country will continue,” he told a high-level meeting on law and order in Islamabad. “We will inflict such a crushing defeat on terrorists that they won’t dare look at Pakistan with ill intent again,” he added.
Appreciating the efforts and decisive actions by all institutions and provinces against terrorism, Sharif assured them of the federal government’s full cooperation in enhancing their counter-terror capacity. He emphasized the need to set aside all differences and work together to eliminate terrorism and lauded security forces personnel and officers confronting terrorists who had sacrificed their lives.
Instructing all institutions to intensify their efforts against smuggling and human trafficking networks, he directed the early completion of Safe City projects in major cities. He also appreciated the joint efforts by federal and provincial governments to promote a counter-terrorism narrative.
During the meeting, participants were informed that a National and Provincial Intelligence Fusion and Threat Assessment Center has been established under the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA). They were also told that the Safe City project is operational in 10 cities of Punjab, while it is in process of implementation in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, and Nawabshah. The project has been approved for Peshawar and will be extended to Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, and Lakki Marwat in the next phase.
Further, the meeting was informed that the Gwadar Safe City project would be completed soon and similar projects would be implemented in all major cities along National Highways, N-25 and N-40. In a bid to curb smuggling, digital enforcement stations are being established on various highways and bridges.
The meeting’s participants were told that federal and provincial governments are working to remove all illegal constructions around major urban centers and a crackdown is underway against begging mafias nationwide, and measures are being taken to restrict their overseas travel. The authorities were also informed that a Forensic Science Agency had been established in Islamabad, and the Punjab Forensic Science Agency was being upgraded.
Federal ministers Azam Nazeer Tarar, Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Ahad Khan Cheema, and Attaullah Tarar attended the meeting alongside Adviser to P.M. Rana Sanaullah, Minister of State Talal Chaudhry, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s Adviser Barrister Saif, Gilgit-Baltistan Interior Minister Shamsul Haq Lone, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir Interior Minister Col. Waqar Noon (retd.). The chief secretaries and inspectors general of police from all provinces were also present.