Counter-terrorism strategy: Poverty reduction, development key

‘The document will help improve sharing of resources between agencies’.

LAHORE:

The newly-formed counter-terrorism strategy for the province highlights poverty reduction and balanced development across all regions as important measures in the fight against terrorism.

The strategy document identifies education and healthcare as critical policy areas to fight terrorism and to control the increasing level of radicalisation in the society. In this regard, the document sees establishment of Daanish Schools and expansion of the chief minister’s primary healthcare initiative as important steps in de-radicalisation of society. It also calls for the formation of a madaris (seminaries) reform policy.

Under the newly-formed strategy, the provincial government has already set up a Punjab Security Board (PSB) headed by the chief minister. The board consists of the provincial law minister, the chief secretary, the home secretary, inspector-general of police and two members of the provincial assembly (to be nominated by the chief minister) and representatives of intelligence and law-enforcement agencies.

A Security Implementation Committee has also been established and made responsible for implementing the decisions and policies formulated by the PSB. The committee is headed by the chief secretary.

The Criminal Investigation Department, established in 1995 and operating under the CID Manual of 1937, has been replaced by a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). It has been assigned the task of monitoring and breaking terrorism networks in the province. The CTD has 1,100 staff.  It will also monitor the activities of and collect intelligence on people associated with religious seminaries, sectarian outfits, banned groups, terrorism suspects and those placed on the 4th schedule of the Anti-Terrorist Act.

A Home Department official said that with the new strategy in place, sharing of resources and information between federal and provincial agencies would improve.

He said the list of steps highlighted in this regard consisted of enhanced cooperation between the police and citizens and introduction of latest technology in the investigation process. He said that police stations would be required to keep regular performance scorecards in order to monitor improvements in their working.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2011.