Daily Times

LAHORE: Justice Amin-ud Din Khan of Lahore High Court (LHC), after the Interior Ministry’s reply, has sought arguments on a petition seeking implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP). The court directed the counsel for petitioner to come up with his counter arguments on April 19. The Interior Ministry in its reply stated that the NAP was being fully implemented in Punjab, while security of important government installations and personalities had also been tightened. It said that the deployment of Rangers personnel in Punjab for two-month period was continuation of the implementation of the NAP. Civil Society Network president Abdullah Malik had filed the petition. Counsel for petitioner Muhammad Azhar Siddique said, “The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is reluctant to execute the NAP in letter and spirit, as it does not want to lose its vote bank, which directly or indirectly is connected with the operation of Rangers in Punjab.” He said that security of citizens, maintenance of peace was inevitable to ensure economic progress and development of the country. He submitted that the NAP had been formulated by the nexus of military establishment and other law enforcement agencies, and after its formulation a visible shift had been observed, and the wave of terrorism, if not eradicated completely, declined at least. He submitted that the federal and the Punjab governments had failed to provide a secure environment leading to right of living and right of liberty. He said that the implementation of the NAP would also go a long way to unearth the hand of foreign agencies, particularly RAW, in perpetration of the terror actions in the country. He requested the court to order execution of the NAP in Punjab.