Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A report on National Action Plan (NAP) has revealed that after lifting of moratorium on hanging, 345 hanged, but there is little correlation between deterrence and capital punishment, Report recommended the need of revamping Criminal Procedure Code, Penal Code and Evidence Act and providing foolproof security to judges, lawyers, witnesses and prosecutors against criminal elements.

Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) released “National Action Plan (NAP) Tracker” a comprehensive first year audit report on NAP.

Report consists on period from December 25, 2014, to January 24, 2016. The report views and opinion of experts, former police officials, columnists and researchers on the various themes related to the NAP, including Imtiaz Gul, Dr. Shoaib Suddle, Ahmer Bilal Soofi, Raza Rumi and others.

Report findings said after the establishing of Military Courts, 40 individuals sentenced, most to death, there are 11 military courts, with more planned for AJK and GB, the ministry of interior has transferred 148 cases to the military courts. A total of 212 outfits are prescribed, Islamic State is the only one added since NAP enacted, Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation are on the watch list, implementation of restrictions is piecemeal and inconsistent, and funding is still a major issue.

Report said that through counter terrorism efforts 2,159 terrorists have been killed and 1,724 have been arrested, a few ordinances have expanded civilian reach and capability and NACTA remains a stillborn baby and low on government’s priority list. The CPEC security is a high priority with resources and personal dedicated to safeguard it; the army seems to lead the charge in FATA, Balochistan, and Karachi. Due to CPEC, overall violence in the country has seen a sharp decline, the report reveals.

Report said that sectarianism incidents decreased and total 1,340 killed and 1,940 injured in sectarian attacks in the last 3 years, sectarianism, like all other violence, lower than prior years. Shia’s face the most attacks with Sindh seeing the bloodiest violence, 2,337 cases on hate speech have been registered with 2,195 arrested, 73 shops seals for printing, propagating hate material, 9,164 cases of misuse of loudspeakers with 9,340 arrested, 2,542 pieces of equipment confiscated, government progress on strengthening civilian law enforcement woeful, except in KPK.

FATA reforms have seen minimal progress, but continue to be hijacked by other agendas.

Report witnessed considerable reduction in violence in Karachi (78%), fatalities (48%), target killings (53%), robberies (30%) and extortion (56%) since Rangers took control. In Balochistan province for insurgent mollification, government reconciliation with Baloch nationalists has seen some progress.

On Seminaries front report said that182 seminaries shut on suspected ties to extremism, Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) claims 26,131 seminaries on record, Ittehad-e-Tanzeemat-e-Madaris Pakistan (ITMP) counts 35,377 registered seminaries schooling 3.5 million children, unregistered seminaries all over the country including KP (4,135), Punjab (2,411), Sindh (1,406), Balochistan (266), Islamabad (31), NACTA/ITMP have developed uniform registration and data form for provincial and security institutions for seeking their opinion on seminary registration, geo-tagging of seminaries was completed in September for Punjab, Islamabad and AJK, and partially in Sindh (3,662 so far, various reports indicate hundreds of seminaries receiving foreign funding), Pakistan has a long history of attempts to unsuccessfully register seminaries, current overall progress stagnant.

On Afghan Refugees report said that UNHCR claims 1,554,910 registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan, with an roughly equal number unregistered, 21 registration centers established to register refugees, actual registration still to commence, 58,211 repatriated to Afghanistan in 2015, lack of long-term policy continues to cause problems.

On IDPs report said that UNHCR claims 193,708 registered families with 1,162,248 members displaced, IDMC estimates 1.8 million, while UNDP estimates 2 million with 310,729 families, ISPR claims 291,827 families displaced of which 28% have returned home, report presented to National Assembly mentioned all points in NAP, except IDPs, indicating lack of government focus.

The report recommended that Criminal Procedure Code, Penal Code and Evidence Act need revamping, judges, lawyers, witnesses, prosecutors need foolproof security against criminal elements, accountability, even in a “state of war” is paramount and Pakistan needs a census immediately.

Report also recommended that beyond physical elimination, long term plan needed for ideological dismantling of extremist mindset, civilian law enforcement needs to be massively revamped and de-politicized, long term civilian law enforcement plan is lacking, all counterterrorism institutions need to be dissolved into one central civilian police structure. Report recommended that counterterrorism cooperation between military and civilians needs to improve, bold plans such as NAP, NISP, POPA, ATA, NACTA, need to be consolidated into one comprehensive, clear strategy, thana culture, needs to be ruthlessly dismantled, foot intelligence networks for a revamped police should take first priority, NACTA’s fate needs to be anything other than limbo.

Report recommended more strict laws against hate speech and religiously motivated violence, uniform application of law enforcement is key, seminary registration, regulation and financial tracking needs a major push; all funding should have a proper trail, seminaries must prepare children with worldly education and curricula must be scrubbed clean of hatred, bigotry and extremist narratives, Schedule IV needs to be regularly and publicly updated and rigorously enforced. FATA reforms needed on war-footing, Baloch grievances must be addressed both by federal and provincial leadership and political militancy needs to be systematically dismantled, with legislation if needed.

Report also recommended that relations with India need to normalize and Afghanistan needs to be stabilized to fully capitalize on the CPEC opportunity and national security policy needs to be firmly rooted in economic goals.