Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi has stated that all possible help will be provided to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan to deal with terrorism.
The second meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee was chaired by Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi, in which the Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, Federal Secretary of Interior, DG FIA, DG Passport, National Coordinator of NACTA, Chief Commissioner Islamabad, National Action Plan Coordinator, and representatives from security agencies participated.
Additionally, the Law Minister of Punjab, Malik Sohaib Ahmed, Advisor Information K-P Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, Interior Minister of Sindh Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjhar, Interior Minister of Azad Kashmir, and Interior Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan attended the meeting, Express News reported.
The Secretaries of Interior and IGs of all provinces, including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, participated via Zoom.
Speaking at the meeting, Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi said that the Prime Minister, Army Chief, and all stakeholders are on the same page regarding the fight against terrorism. No decision will be made without consulting the provinces.
The meeting also reviewed the progress on enhancing the capabilities of the Counter-Terrorism Department in the provinces.
The Federal Minister for Interior emphasized that for effective counter-terrorism, it is crucial to fully activate the Counter-Terrorism Departments at the provincial level. In this regard, all possible assistance will be provided to K-P and Balochistan, considering the challenges they face.
He further stated that the FIA’s Counter-Terrorism Wing will be fully activated at the federal level. The meeting also reviewed the progress on the establishment of National and Provincial Intelligence Fusion and Threat Assessment Centers.
During the briefing, it was stated that the approval for the establishment of the National Intelligence Fusion and Threat Assessment Centers has been granted, and work is ongoing for the establishment of Provincial Intelligence Fusion and Threat Assessment Centers in all provinces.
Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi said that after the reorganisation of the Frontier Constabulary, it is being transformed into the National Reserve Police. During this session, it was agreed to make explosive materials a federal subject to ensure better monitoring.
The meeting also decided to effectively raise the issue of terrorism with the Afghan government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Minister for Interior further stated that all institutions must ensure strict adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the security of foreign nationals.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the federal and provincial governments to “forcefully” implement “a unified response and narrative” against the ongoing wave of terrorism as well as anti-Pakistan and anti-institutions, it emerged on Friday.
The prime minister’s directions to collectively counter the ongoing threat of terrorism and ant-state narratives in the country has come on the heels of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Syed Asim Munir’s recent statement, emphasising to transform Pakistan into a “hard state” from a “soft state”.
