Combating terrorism: Call for reforms in police, judicial system

The workshop was chaired by former ambassador Sohail Amin


Our Correspondent April 13, 2016
PHOTO: AFP/ FILE

ISLAMABAD:


A leading expert on security studies has called for introducing reforms in the police department as well as the judicial system for rooting out terrorism in the long term.


Dr Tughral Yamin, associate dean the Centre for International Peace and Stability (CIPS) said this, at a one-day workshop, “National Action Plan (NAP): Progress and Challenges” organised by the Islamabad Policy Research Institute, here on Wednesday.

Dr Yamin said that in order for the NAP to work, the centre, provinces and the military needed to be on the same page and substantial financial resources allocated towards it implementation.

Dr Kamaluddin Tipu, member National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) said that all stakeholders, from the civil-military leadership to media, judiciary, academia and civil society needed to be capacitated further to combat terrorism.



He said that more than 4,388 terrorists had so far been arrested in action taken against armed militias and 2,477 cases registered to counter hate speech and material promoting extremism.

Dr Tipu said that establishment of units of counterterrorism force was well underway in each of the provinces as well as the federal capital.

In order to choke terrorist finances, 322 arrests had been made, 214 FERA/Hawala Hundi cases registered. Approximately Rs356.56 million have been recovered so far, he shared.

Dr Tipu admitted that although the Nacta was a key counterterrorism entity with focus on coordination and preparation of national counterterrorism and counter-extremism strategy, there had been some teething problems that had impeded its overall performance such as lack of human resources.

Hamid Ali Khan, director-general counterterrorism at SASSI and one of those responsible for the formulation of the National Action Plan gave a comprehensive historical analysis of the dynamics of terrorism in Pakistan.

Dr Khuram Iqbal, assistant professor at National Defence University said nationalism was the antithesis to all forms of terrorism in Pakistan.

The workshop was chaired by former ambassador Sohail Amin.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14th,  2016.

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