War on terror headed in the right direction: Shahbaz

Third batch of Counter-Terrorism Force completes training

LAHORE: Pakistan Army, the Counter-Terrorism Force and the Punjab Police are writing new chapters of valour, Chief Minister said on Saturday.

“It is time for us to get rid of terrorism and extremism. The entire nation is united against the menace,” the chief minister said at the passing-out parade of the third batch of Counter-Terrorism Force at Elite Police Training School, Bedian Road.

The third batch of 332 included 298 male and 34 female corporals. The training of all 1,500 corporals has been completed now.

The chief minister said the majority of terrorists and their aides had been defeated. “The country’s war against terrorism will continue until peace is restored. Every sacrifice will be made for the purpose,” Sharif said.

He said the corporals had been given modern training to deal effectively with terrorists. He said the force’s two earlier batches were already producing good results. He said the number of corporals would be raised if needed.

Sharif praised Pakistan Army for launching Operation Zarb-e-Azb against terrorists. “Political and military leaders are on the same page [against terrorism]. This is evident from the National Action Plan against terrorism,” he said.

The chief minister said that a modern integrated command, communication and control centre was being set up in Lahore. The facility would be expanded to other big cities in the next phase, he said.

He stressed the need for unity to end poverty, injustice, inequality and corruption. “Hard work is the key to achieving these goals. We should rely on our collective wisdom to move forward,” he said.

Sharif said that on the Independence Day on August 14, the nation should pledge to make Pakistan a real welfare state. “There is a need for learning lessons from our mistakes in the past. Supremacy of merit, justice, honesty, trust and equality are needed to put the country on the path to glory,” the chief minister said.

He inspected the parade and gave away cash prizes, shields and the sword of honour to the corporals who had performed well in the training.

IGP Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera said the Counter-Terrorism Force would prove a new beginning towards ending terrorism. He said 141 cases had been registered at CTD police stations. He said the department had arrested 16 “most hardened terrorists”, 84 facilitators, and 41 people for delivering hate speeches.

The IGP said that the department had completed geo-tagging of seminaries with help from the Punjab Information Technology Board. He said other provinces were now following similar policies. He said a survey and geo-tagging of mosques and other worship places would be started soon.

Chief Secretary Khizer Hayat Gondal, Home Secretary Azam Suleman Khan, Special Branch Additional IGP Arif Mushtaq, CCPO Amin Wains, Elite Force DIG Muhammad Tahir, Operations DIG Haider Ashraf and CTO Tayyab Hafeez Cheema attended the ceremony.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 2^nd, 2015.