Maiden meeting: Panel reviews NAP progress
Committee prioritises 8 areas where progress is slow
PHOTO: PPI
ISLAMABAD:
A high-powered committee tasked to oversee implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) in its first meeting on Monday reviewed progress made so far in the 20-point counterterrorism strategy.
National Security Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Nasser Khan Janjua presided over the meeting of the NAP Implementation Committee. Officially, there was no word on what was discussed in the meeting, but official sources told The Express Tribune that the panel voiced its concerns over lack of progress on at least eight points of NAP.
These points relate to banned groups, including sectarian outfits, terror financing, reemergence of banned organisations under changed names, coordination between security and law enforcement agencies at the Centre and provinces, anti-terrorism laws, creation of counterterrorism forces at the provincial level, etc.
“Terror financing is a key aspect that attracted greater attention,” said an official at the Prime Minister Secretariat. The committee decided that the areas where NAP’s implementation was either slow or nil would be prioritised, official sources said. The committee would meet on a regular basis to review progress of every department in the prioritised areas. Each department would prepare its progress report and submit to the committee for review, they added.
Defence analyst Dr Hassan Askari said NAP’s implementation from the platform of implementation committee was easily achievable. “Top civil and military officials have come together in this panel. It can achieve the desired objectives easily provided the Centre supports the committee,” Rizvi told The Express Tribune. “Otherwise, mere recommendations from the panel without implementation by the government would be a futile exercise.”
The committee comprises top civilian and military officials, including the interior secretary, NACTA director general, DG military operations, federal, provincial secretaries, IGPs and a representative each from Fata Secretariat, ISI, MI and IB.
Earlier, an official statement said that special invitations had been sent out to the chairmen of PEMRA, PTA and the auditor general of Pakistan to attend the meeting. A statement issued before Monday’s meeting said the committee would take stock of the situation, monitor the progress, take into account all the impediments and chalk out a way forward to attain desired results.
NSA to brief PM
Lt Gen (retd) Janjua will brief PM Nawaz Sharif on the proceedings of the committee meeting. Being head of the panel, Janjua will apprise the premier on the mechanism and framework being evolved to fast-rack the implementation of NAP across the country.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar will also attend the meeting.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2016.
A high-powered committee tasked to oversee implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) in its first meeting on Monday reviewed progress made so far in the 20-point counterterrorism strategy.
National Security Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Nasser Khan Janjua presided over the meeting of the NAP Implementation Committee. Officially, there was no word on what was discussed in the meeting, but official sources told The Express Tribune that the panel voiced its concerns over lack of progress on at least eight points of NAP.
These points relate to banned groups, including sectarian outfits, terror financing, reemergence of banned organisations under changed names, coordination between security and law enforcement agencies at the Centre and provinces, anti-terrorism laws, creation of counterterrorism forces at the provincial level, etc.
“Terror financing is a key aspect that attracted greater attention,” said an official at the Prime Minister Secretariat. The committee decided that the areas where NAP’s implementation was either slow or nil would be prioritised, official sources said. The committee would meet on a regular basis to review progress of every department in the prioritised areas. Each department would prepare its progress report and submit to the committee for review, they added.
Defence analyst Dr Hassan Askari said NAP’s implementation from the platform of implementation committee was easily achievable. “Top civil and military officials have come together in this panel. It can achieve the desired objectives easily provided the Centre supports the committee,” Rizvi told The Express Tribune. “Otherwise, mere recommendations from the panel without implementation by the government would be a futile exercise.”
The committee comprises top civilian and military officials, including the interior secretary, NACTA director general, DG military operations, federal, provincial secretaries, IGPs and a representative each from Fata Secretariat, ISI, MI and IB.
Earlier, an official statement said that special invitations had been sent out to the chairmen of PEMRA, PTA and the auditor general of Pakistan to attend the meeting. A statement issued before Monday’s meeting said the committee would take stock of the situation, monitor the progress, take into account all the impediments and chalk out a way forward to attain desired results.
NSA to brief PM
Lt Gen (retd) Janjua will brief PM Nawaz Sharif on the proceedings of the committee meeting. Being head of the panel, Janjua will apprise the premier on the mechanism and framework being evolved to fast-rack the implementation of NAP across the country.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar will also attend the meeting.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2016.