Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chairs the review meeting of the National Action Plan at the PM House on January 14, 2015. PHOTO: PID
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has called a meeting of chief ministers of all provinces to get updates on the progress of implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) next week.
While chairing a meeting at the PM House on Wednesday, he vowed that the federal government would provide all possible resources to the provincial governments, an official handout said.
The prime minister expressed the government’s resolve in eradicating the menace of terrorism and extremism from the country and directed all provinces to take proactive measures for ensuring speedy and effective implementation of the NAP.
The government, he affirmed, would take strict action against those found glorifying terrorism or spreading hatred in the country.
The meeting was informed that FIRs have been registered against 341 persons involved in hate speech. Of them, 251 have been formally arrested while 41 shops disseminating hate material were closed.
Action has already been taken against nearly 1,100 people on the misuse of loudspeakers. Madaris are also being closely monitored so that spread of terrorist ideology can be checked, while 95 proscribed organisations have been identified in Punjab which are still engaged in spreading terrorism and extremism.
Premier Nawaz asked the Federal Board of Revenue to ensure that funding to proscribed organisations is stopped.
He also directed the Ministry of Information Technology to take steps for blocking websites and social media platforms being used by terrorist organisations.
The prime minister went on to say that a state-of-the-art rapid response force is being formed to meet the challenges. This well-equipped force would be trained on modern lines and given better pay package.
In his briefing, Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan informed the PM Nawaz that 180 miscreants have been picked up so far from various parts of Islamabad while 48 of them have been formally arrested.
Similarly, in Punjab 14,000 suspects have been nabbed. Of them, 780 have formally been held and are under investigation, he added.
PM to chair meeting in Karachi on Jan 19
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is due to arrive in Karachi on January 19 to preside over a high-level meeting to review the implementation of the National Action Plan in the country.
The reports pouring in suggested that it would be a national-level meeting which would be attended by chief ministers from other provinces too at the Governor House.
Though officials in Islamabad have not confirmed about the meeting, Speaker Sindh Assembly Agha Siraj Durrani has postponed the assembly session scheduled to be held on Monday (January 19).
“The session was called to make law pertaining to NAP. It has now been delayed to January 21 because of the meeting on the same issue. ” the officials insisted.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 15th, 2015.
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