The National Action Plan Committee (NAPC), which has been tasked to come up with an action plan against militants, on Friday discussed fresh legislation to allow the military to detain and try civilians involved in terrorism-related crimes.
Establishing a counter-terror experts group, the NAPC in its first meeting also discussed various options to support the military to wipe out terrorists from the country.
“In light of the NAPC’s recommendations, a law can be proposed where the military would hold and try civilians involved in terrorism – for this, the government and the army are on the same page, and after getting the military on board, the action plan is now a tripartite initiative of parliament, military and the government,” a member of the committee told The Express Tribune.
Under new laws, if finalised by the committee with consensus and later endorsed by parliament, the military will be able to try aiders, abettors, facilitators and financers of terrorists, he explained.
In the five-hour-long meeting chaired by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the NAPC decided that the experts working group – comprising military and civilian experts – will give its recommendations on counter-terrorism in a week, Awami National Party (ANP) Senator Afrasiab Khattak told reporters.
“The media, under the existing or new laws, will be advised not to glorify terrorists through its live and recorded coverage and print editions,” he said. Through this way, representatives of banned outfits will not be able to give their viewpoints on electronic media, Khattak added. In light of the recommendations, the experts group will form an action plan, he said. “Then the NAPC will review experts group’s recommendations and submit them to the government,” he added.
During the meeting, representatives of all major political parties gave their input to the committee and discussed a possible national action plan to counter terrorism, he said.
Brig (retd) Wajid, former interior secretary Tasneem Noorani, former IGP Afzal Shigri, FIA’s former director general Tariq Khan Khosa, retired civil servant Tariq Pervez and some other serving and retired civilian and military officials will be part of this group, another member of the committee said.
The interior ministry, however, is likely to announce name for the experts group today (Saturday), he hoped. ISI Director General (Counter-Terrorism) Major General Tariq will brief the NAPC, he said, adding that the committee members may also visit the military headquarters for a briefing next week.
A few members of the committee also proposed seeking assistance of friendly countries that have been fighting terrorism, a member of the committee told The Express Tribune. Pakistan may also seek assistance of counter-terrorism experts from the United States, United Kingdom and Sri Lanka, he added.
The members, who attended the meeting, included PTI’s Dr Shireen Mazari and Dr Arif Alvi, JUI-F’s Akram Durrani, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Sahibzada Tariqullah, PPP’s Senator Rehman Malik and Qamar Zaman Kaira, MQM’s Farooq Sattar and Senator Babar Khan Ghauri as well as Anisa Zaib, Ijazul Haq, Kalsoom Perveen, Senator Saleh and MNA Shahji Afridi.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2014.
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@JilaniC: that's called failure of the political leadership. serves us right to elect the likes of these baboons into power.
The military should be allowed to try civilians? Oh dear! There are bad ideas, and then there are bad ideas. This idea is about the worst. We are back on the slippery slope to dictatorship.