Taking a hard look at how NAP fared
Interior ministry claims successful implementation of the plan
ISLAMABAD:
Disregarding some experts and opposition lawmakers’ claims to the contrary, the Interior Ministry has said it successfully implemented the the National Action Plan (NAP).
In its performance report issued this month, the ministry also claimed contribution in critical legislation on terrorism such as Anti-Terrorism Act 2014 and Pakistan Army Act (Amendment) 2014 and said it has also successfully handled the fallouts of Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
Counter-terror strategy: Nisar admits slow progress on five NAP points
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan last week said the previous government and the military establishment led by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani did not start a military operation fearing a fallout and resultantly terrorism increased in the country manifold. “NAP has registered significant improvement in the overall law and order and internal security including a visible downward trend in terrorist incidents thus establishing the writ of the government,” Nisar said.
Sharing stats on the Karachi operation, the ministry claimed that the operation reduced targeted killing by 53%, murder by 50%, robberies by 30% and terrorism by 80%.
Referring to contributions of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta), the ministry said the body disseminated 2,315 threat alerts and 1,229 information reports while security forces conducted 6,463 intelligence based operations and 128,464 combing operations. The ministry said after adoption of the NAP, some 2,109 terrorists were killed. Meanwhile, the ministry registered 11,313 cases of hate speeches and received 56,876 calls at its 1717 helpline.
The report said the ministry initiated the process of registration of mobile phone SIMs and verified a total 114.9 million SIMS while 98.3 million SIMs were blocked.
The ministry said it introduced some drafts on interment centre rules, passport rules and new SOPs for exit control list (ECL), passport control list and red notices. Some 9,750 names had been deleted from the ECL so far while more than 50,000 names had been removed from the black list, which was abolished.
Nawaz, Qaim discuss two-point agenda, Karachi operation
The ministry claimed that it has finalised the process of verification of arms licences from 1973 to date. A complete ban was imposed on issuance of all new arms licences to verify and re-validate 352,843 manual licences issued from 2008 to 2013 under the PPP government. It also carried out detection of 67 fake NOCs for armoured vehicles and began proceedings against the accused. The National Alien Registration Authority (Nara) was also merged with National Database Registration Authority (Nadra).
The ministry signed visa abolition agreements with Thailand, Kuwait and Bahrain. Meanwhile, Protection of Pakistan Act 2014 was placed on the schedule of Federal Intelligence Agency (FIA) Act, 1975. The FIA immigration laws were extended to Torkham and an agreement on establishment of higher border commission between Pakistan and Iran was signed.
The ministry signed dual nationality agreement with Bahrain and Finland. Readmission agreement with European Union (EU) which Pakistan ratified in 2010 was reviewed and the reservation/irregularities vis-à-vis EURA communicated to EU commissioner for migration.
It said the matter is also being taken to the Joint Re-Admission Committee meeting in January 2016. The interior ministry did not accept deportees from EU countries and sent back such persons who had travelled without proper documentation.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 1st, 2016.
Disregarding some experts and opposition lawmakers’ claims to the contrary, the Interior Ministry has said it successfully implemented the the National Action Plan (NAP).
In its performance report issued this month, the ministry also claimed contribution in critical legislation on terrorism such as Anti-Terrorism Act 2014 and Pakistan Army Act (Amendment) 2014 and said it has also successfully handled the fallouts of Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
Counter-terror strategy: Nisar admits slow progress on five NAP points
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan last week said the previous government and the military establishment led by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani did not start a military operation fearing a fallout and resultantly terrorism increased in the country manifold. “NAP has registered significant improvement in the overall law and order and internal security including a visible downward trend in terrorist incidents thus establishing the writ of the government,” Nisar said.
Sharing stats on the Karachi operation, the ministry claimed that the operation reduced targeted killing by 53%, murder by 50%, robberies by 30% and terrorism by 80%.
Referring to contributions of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta), the ministry said the body disseminated 2,315 threat alerts and 1,229 information reports while security forces conducted 6,463 intelligence based operations and 128,464 combing operations. The ministry said after adoption of the NAP, some 2,109 terrorists were killed. Meanwhile, the ministry registered 11,313 cases of hate speeches and received 56,876 calls at its 1717 helpline.
The report said the ministry initiated the process of registration of mobile phone SIMs and verified a total 114.9 million SIMS while 98.3 million SIMs were blocked.
The ministry said it introduced some drafts on interment centre rules, passport rules and new SOPs for exit control list (ECL), passport control list and red notices. Some 9,750 names had been deleted from the ECL so far while more than 50,000 names had been removed from the black list, which was abolished.
Nawaz, Qaim discuss two-point agenda, Karachi operation
The ministry claimed that it has finalised the process of verification of arms licences from 1973 to date. A complete ban was imposed on issuance of all new arms licences to verify and re-validate 352,843 manual licences issued from 2008 to 2013 under the PPP government. It also carried out detection of 67 fake NOCs for armoured vehicles and began proceedings against the accused. The National Alien Registration Authority (Nara) was also merged with National Database Registration Authority (Nadra).
The ministry signed visa abolition agreements with Thailand, Kuwait and Bahrain. Meanwhile, Protection of Pakistan Act 2014 was placed on the schedule of Federal Intelligence Agency (FIA) Act, 1975. The FIA immigration laws were extended to Torkham and an agreement on establishment of higher border commission between Pakistan and Iran was signed.
The ministry signed dual nationality agreement with Bahrain and Finland. Readmission agreement with European Union (EU) which Pakistan ratified in 2010 was reviewed and the reservation/irregularities vis-à-vis EURA communicated to EU commissioner for migration.
It said the matter is also being taken to the Joint Re-Admission Committee meeting in January 2016. The interior ministry did not accept deportees from EU countries and sent back such persons who had travelled without proper documentation.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 1st, 2016.