Terrorists going for softer targets to survive, says COAS

Directs officials to pre-empt moves of terrorists to frustrate their designs

KARACHI: ‘Badly bruised and isolated’ terrorists will go for softer targets for their survival, warned army chief General Raheel Sharif on Sunday as he directed senior security officials to hunt the terrorists and “pre-empt their moves to frustrate their designs.”

The army chief travelled to Karachi after the recent targeted killing of qawwali maestro Amjad Sabri and kidnapping of the son of Sindh’s top judge within two days.  Sabri was shot dead by two motorcycle-riding gunmen in the Liaquatabad neighbourhood of Karachi Wednesday afternoon. A day earlier Advocate Ovais Ali Shah was seized by masked gunmen from outside Agha’s Supermarket in the posh Clifton area.



The two high-profile incidents led some politicians and analysts to question the effectiveness of the ongoing Rangers-led targeted operation in the provincial metropolis.

The army chief said the Karachi operation has brought about a noticeable improvement in the law and order situation of the city. “However as we progress to target the crime and terror syndicate network, we need to keep our focus on actionable human and technical intelligence and totally dismantle their support structure,” he said while speaking during a meeting at the Corps Headquarters in Karachi Sunday evening.

According to the ISPR, Interior Minster Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, National Security Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Nasser Janjua, Sindh’s governor and chief minister, Home Minister Sohail Anwar Sial, ISI chief and the corps commander attended the meeting. Participants were briefed about the security situation and various aspects of the ongoing operation against terrorists, criminals and their linkages in Karachi.



“The operation has now entered a phase where terrorists and their abettors are badly bruised, isolated and hence will go for softer targets so as to find their survival and undermine the society psychologically,” Gen Raheel said while asking all concerned to hunt terrorists and pre-empt their moves to frustrate their designs.



“We must continue our mission unabated to consolidate and not let anyone reverse our gains,” he said. Expressing his assurance to the people of Karachi, the army chief emphasised that the nexus of terrorists, their abettors, sympathisers and financiers will be broken at all cost and the ongoing operation will be taken to its logical conclusion.

He urged upon all stakeholders for earnest endeavours in their respective spheres within the overall ‘Whole of the Nation Approach’ for overcoming the menace of terrorism.

The army chief exhorted all commanders, including those of security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies, to continue working hand in glove and leave no stone unturned for restoration of peace in the city. Measures to build capacity of other law enforcers were also discussed for lasting peace in the economic hub of the country.

Earlier in the day, Gen Raheel travelled to the Headquarters of the Pakistan Rangers (Sindh), where he was briefed by Rangers’ Director General Maj Gen Bilal Akbar about the ongoing operations and the way forward, particularly on progress in investigations into Sabri’s killing and Advocate Ovais’ kidnapping. Karachi Corps Commander Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar and ISI chief Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar also attended the meeting which decided to speed up the Karachi operation.



Gen Raheel commended the sacrifices and achievements of the Rangers which have brought about significant improvement in the law and order situation in the city, according to the ISPR. He said the determination, courage and resolve of the Rangers to rid the city of terrorists and criminals have earned them widest respect from the people of Karachi.

“Across-the-board operation focuses on the entire network of terrorists, their abettors and financiers, and will continue till we achieve our objective of peace and restoration of normalcy in all parts of Karachi,” the army chief reiterated. “Every assistance, including intelligence and material combat support, will be provided to the Rangers to accomplish their mission,” he said. Referring to the recent incidents, the army chief directed all commanders, including those of intelligence agencies, to continue working hand in glove and leave no stone unturned in finding the perpetrators.

Nisar in town

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, who also travelled to Karachi for the meeting at the corps headquarters, directed the officials concerned to expedite the ongoing targeted operation in Karachi. He had had a one-on-one meeting with Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan at the Governor House where he also telephoned the provincial police chief to discuss the security situation in Karachi.



Later, Nisar visited the residence of slain qawwali maestro Amjad Sabri along with the governor to offer his condolences to the family. “We will bring the killers to court of law irrespective of how powerful they are,” he said and held out an assurance that the law enforcers would soon arrest the killers.  “Once again I assure you that we will not let the assassins flee,” he told Sabri’s family. “Amjad Sabri was an international celebrity who disseminated the message of peace, love and tolerance.”

The interior minister also visited Sindh High Court Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah whose son, Advocate Ovais Ali Shah, was kidnapped from outside a supermarket in Clifton a few days ago. He briefed the chief justice on the law enforcers’ efforts to locate his son. Official sources said the interior minister also conveyed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s message to the two families.



Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2016.