Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The political and military leadership has agreed to set up a task force to review the pace of implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP).

A meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the chair continued discussions on implementation of the NAP in a befitting manner on the third consecutive day on Thursday. Ongoing counterterrorism operations also came under discussion during the meeting.

Army Chief General Raheel Sharif, federal ministers Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Ishaq Dar, National Security Adviser Lt-Gen (Retd) Nasir Janjua and Inter-Services Intelligence Director General Lt-Gen Rizwan Akhtar were prominent among those who attended the meeting.

The task force will consist of representatives of the federal and provincial governments and heads of security agencies. Task force members will compile a report on implementation of all 26 points of the NAP.

Internal and external security threats to the country, regional security issues and activities of anti-Pakistan intelligence agencies came under discussion in detail during the meeting, which continued for almost six hours. It was decided at the meeting that scope of the counterterrorism operations would be expanded to all parts of Pakistan.

According to a report, which came under discussion during the meeting, implementation of eight of the 20 NAP points remained slow. The meeting participants were informed that some banned outfits had resumed their activities with new names. It was pointed out during the meeting that neither provinces came up with any proposals to speed up the trial of criminals nor any coordinated action had been taken to stop funding to terrorist organisations so far. The meeting was informed that there was no progress on FATA reforms and no final decision on repatriation of Afghan refugees.

The meeting participants said that intelligence agencies were playing a vital role in the national security and protection of national interests; therefore, they would be given all kinds of support and resources.

Addressing the meeting, the prime minister said every effort should be made to implement the NAP and completely eliminate terrorism from Pakistan. He said that terrorists were committed to a doctrine, which snatched Benazir Bhutto from Pakistan. He reiterated his resolve to root out terrorism from the country. He said that implementation of the NAP would be ensured at any cost.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that several madrassas were ready to register with a central body under government’s madrassa reforms. He said the Interior Ministry would soon call a meeting of religious figures in this regard.

On Monday, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly called for regular review of the NAP to identify the hurdles and take corrective measures. “The NAP exists on paper only,” said ANP parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak. He said there was no letup in suicide attacks, bomb blasts, targeted killings, kidnappings for ransom and extortion even after enforcement of the NAP.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his security team had a threadbare discussion on the NAP.The meeting was meant to prepare a comprehensive working paper for a broader meeting with the military top brass. An official statement released after the sitting simply said: “The prime minister chaired meeting to review the internal security situation and implementation of the NAP.”

Effectiveness of the 20-point NAP has been called into question yet again after Monday’s suicide bombing in Quetta. The NAP was launched amid much fanfare in the aftermath of the heinous attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar in December 2014.

According to independent analysts, both civil and military leaderships have a lot of explaining to do if the NAP has lost its purpose. And if it has, who is to blame for the failure?

A senior government official privy to Tuesday’s meeting said a point-wise discussion was expected with the army top brass.