Existential threat: Survival hinges on victory against terror, says PM

First batch of Punjab’s Counter-Terrorism Force passes out; Nawaz asks other provinces to follow suit

LAHORE:

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reiterated on Saturday that all state institutions were determined to win the ongoing war against terrorism at any cost as our economic and social survival and that of future generations is linked to it.

“Today, every citizen of Pakistan stands behind our armed forces and our institutions. This war is the war of the whole nation,” he said while addressing the passing-out parade of the first batch of the Counter-Terrorism Force (CTF) at the Elite Police Training School, Bedian.

The batch, comprising 421 corporals, including 16 females, passed out after completing their nine-month-long training course. Around 1,182 corporals are being trained by the master trainers of Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group and Turkish police force.

The prime minister said that the CTF was raised because public safety and law and order were among priorities of his government. Such a highly trained force is required to rid the country of terrorism, he said, adding that the force has been trained in special operations and intelligence gathering.

Premier Nawaz said the corporals would be equipped along modern lines and their capacity would be built to successfully tackle the challenge of terrorism. He advised the corporals to perform their duties in a disciplined, responsible and impartial manner so that no criminal could evade their clutches.



The security forces are actively carrying out Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan Agency and all state institutions are united to root out terrorism from the country, he said. All parliamentary parties are determined to eliminate terrorism and if the nation also maintains unity there would be no impediment to our success.

The SSG, police and other institutions took part in the training of the CTF corporals, he said and thanked army chief Gen Raheel Sharif for taking special interest in the training.

“We have sacrificed thousands of lives, including children, women and security personnel, and the whole nation was plunged into grief over Friday’s blast in Shikarpur,” he said, adding that such incidents only boosted the morale of the Pakistani nation. “We’ll not rest until the last terrorist meets his fate.”

“This is my resolve. And I see such a resolve in the whole nation. If it lasts, terrorism will be eliminated from the country,” he added. “The martyrs have set examples by sacrificing their lives that will prove to be a beacon for the nation.”

The prime minister lauded Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for raising the force swiftly and advised other provinces to follow suit. He added that the CTF’s strength would be increased as such steps were part of the National Action Plan against terrorism.

Premier Nawaz said he and the army chief would visit Karachi and Quetta to discuss the situation with the political leaderships there and monitor counterterrorism efforts. “Had such efforts started decades ago, there would have been no terrorism in Pakistan.”

Speaking to journalists after the passing out parade, the prime minister said both Pakistan and Afghanistan were adhering to the commitments made during Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s visit to Islamabad. If the two countries stick to these pledges, terrorists will no longer be able to find any sanctuary in the region.

Earlier, the CTF corporals carried out a mock drill of raiding a building and arresting terrorists on the basis of information conveyed by the intelligence unit of the force. The prime minister reviewed the parade and distributed prizes among the best performers in different competitions held during the training course.

The army chief, the provincial chief minister, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, acting Governor Rana Muhammad Iqbal, Lahore Corps Commander Lt Gen Naveed Zaman and diplomats of different countries attended the ceremony.


Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2015.