 ISLAMABAD, Oct 23 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Friday said that the whole nation is united against the evil forces that are out to terrorize the society to get their demands accepted. Chairing a specially convened high level meeting on national security situation to evolve a comprehensive strategy, he said that failure is not an option despite the ferocity of these attacks. The meeting was held at the Prime Minister Secretariat. The Prime Minister assured the nation that the government will not allow the terrorists to get away with their cowardly acts and is committed to uprooting militancy and intolerance from society and all those who challenge the writ of the state will be dealt with iron hand.
The meeting discussed the immediate
and long term measures presented by the various agencies towards
eliminating the scourge of terrorism and extremism from the soil.
The Prime Minister reiterated that the military operation in South
Waziristan will continue till its logical conclusion. The meeting
reviewed immediate strategy formulated by various intelligence and law
enforcement agencies to make South Waziristan operation a success.
The role of media in formulating public opinion against terrorism and extremism was also lauded.
The meeting urged the media not to glorify the terrorists and acts of
terrorism in any form and to avoid live coverage of such incidents as
it created panic and despondency in the public and strengthened the
motives and evil designs of the terrorists.
Prime Minister Gilani also implored the political forces, public
representatives and opinion leaders to mobilize public opinion for the
national unity on the most significant challenge to the national
security.
He assured that requirements of all agencies actively involved in the
combat against militants would be meted out on priority basis.
He said the country is engaged in a war to free the nation from the
menace of terrorism that has destroyed the peace of the land, bruised
the economy and most importantly threatened the freedom of the people.
The wave of militancy, he said, has adversely affected every segment of society.
The Prime Minister said that the challenges are great and possibly the
sacrifices may be higher, but added that the leaders and people should
forge unity in their ranks and to have faith and patience to surmount
this challenge once again.
He said that there is a nexus between the militants and some of the terrorist organizations.
He directed the provincial and federal intelligence agencies to
strengthen their intelligence network and closely monitor and watch the
activities of these organizations as country could not afford to be
complacent.
Prime Minister Gilani directed to reopen education institutions after ensuring full security arrangements.
Referring to the successful military operation in Swat and Malakand
area, he said that despite a difficult terrain and the loss of valuable
lives of officers, Jawans and para military forces, the government was
able to restore peace and tranquility to the beautiful valley of Swat,
within the shortest possible time.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the success of the Malakand
operation, besides the sacrifice of our Jawans, was due to the complete
consensus and the political will displayed by all parties including the
opposition across the board.
“The need for such a consensus is all the more vital today, as we
tackle the militants, in their own backyard,” i.e. South Waziristan
being inhabited by all kinds of foreign mercenaries, he added.
The Prime Minister said that the damage/need assessment in the
affected areas of Malakand and Swat has been conducted and completed
and the reconstruction phase is about to commence.
He said that Rs. 50 billion have been earmarked for the purpose.
He assured that the affectees of the military operation in South Waziristan would also receive similar assistance.
Simultaneously, the Special Support Programme for the IDPs, is fully
underway to facilitate the resettling of the stranded families to safer
places, he added.
He said to date almost 120,000 plus persons, have migrated to D I Khan and Tank to avoid the fighting.
“We will provide them cash of Rs. 5,000 per month besides other ration and relief items, that are necessary,” he said.
He said Rs. 2.5 billion have been released to FATA secretariat, for the IDPs of South Waziristan.
Paying tribute to the brave Armed Forces which have struck the core of
hardline militant activity, the Prime Minister said that the stakes
have become higher and consequently, there is a surge in acts of
terrorism.
He said the blood of martyred would not go waste as whole nation is united to make Pakistan a peaceful country.
The target killing of a senior military officer and his driver is meant to create panic and to paralyze everyday life, he added.
He said “early today, the terrorists have struck again at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra”.
“My heart bleeds for the Shaheeds, who have given their lives for our protection and for future generations.”
In his briefing, Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani
said that the ongoing military operation in South Waziristan is moving
ahead successfully towards their desired objective while trying to
ensure minimum collateral damage.
Minister for Interior, Rehman Malik also gave an overview of the law and order situation.
Governor Gilgit Baltistan, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Prime Minister AJK Raja
Farooq Haider and heads of various law enforcement agencies also
briefed the meeting about the various immediate measures taken by their
respective departments to thwart any future terrorist attacks.
Earlier, Chief of Army Staff, Minister for Defence, Minister for
Interior, Minister for Information, Minister for Finance, Sardar
Zulifqar Ahmad Khosa, Chief Ministers of Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan
held a separate meeting with the Prime Minister.
The meeting on national security situation was attended by Ch.Ahmad
Mukhtar, Minister for Defence; Senator Rehman A Malik, Minister for
Interior; Shaukat Fayyaz Ahmad Tarin, Minister for Finance, Qamar
Zaman Kaira, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Raja Muhammad
Farooq Haider, Prime Minister of AJK, Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa, Acting
Chief Minister Punjab, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Chief Minister Sindh, Ameer
Haider Khan Hoti, Chief Minister NWFP, Nawab Aslam Raisani, Chief
Minister Balochistan, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, Chief of Army
Staff, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, Maj Gen Muhammad Khalid, COS
Southern Command, Maj Gen Muhammad Zaheer ul Islam, DHc ISI, Maj Gen
Masood ul Hassan, DG PS, Maj Gen Athar Abbas, DG ISPR, Maj Gen Muhammad
Asif, DG MI, Maj Gen Javed Iqbal, DG MO, Maj Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat,
DG SD, Maj Gen.Liaquat Ali, DG Rangers Sindh, Maj. Gen. Muhammad Yaqoob
Khan, DG Rangers Punjab, Maj. Gen. Saleem Nawaz, IGFC Balochistan, Maj.
Gen.Tariq Khan, IGFC NWFP, DG ISI, Lt. Gen. Muhammad Mustafa Khan,
Chief of General Staff, Brig Javed Ashraf, COS ASFC, Brig Muhammad
Maqsood Ahmed, COS AAD Comd, Brig Ikram ul Haq, COS 31 Corps, Brig Ali
Abbas Haider, COS 30 Corps, Brig Aamir Riaz, COS 11 Corps, Brig Iqbal
Asi, COS 10 Corps, Brig Sohail Ahmad Khan, COS 5 Corps, Brig Tariq
Ghafoor, COS=5 Corps, Brig Sadiq Ali, COS 2 Corps, Brig Asim Saleem
Bajwa, COS I Corps, Mrs Nargis Sethi, Principal Secretary to PM, Qamar
Zaman Chaudhry, Secretary Interior, Javed Mahmood, Chief Secretary
Punjab, Javed Iqbal, Chief Secretary, NWFP, Nasir Mahmood Khosa, Chief
Secretary, Balochistan, Tariq Saleem Dogar, IG Punjab, Sultan
Salahuddin Babar Khattak, IG Sindh, Malik, Naveed Khan, IG NWFP, Syed
Javed Ali Shah Bukhari, IG Balochistan, Javed Noor, DG, IB, Tariq
Mehmood Khosa, DG,FIA, Khalid Sultan, Chief Secretary AJK, Nadeem
Hassan Asif, Home Secretary, Punjab, Javed Iqbal, IG AJK, Mr. Arif
Ahmad Khan, Home Secretary, Sindh, Fayyaz Ahmad Toru, Home Secretary,
NWFP, Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad, Chief Secretary Gilgit Baltistan,
Capt (rtd) Muhammad Usman Younis, Home Secretary B&G and WG CDR
(rtd) Tariq Ahmed Lodhi, DG NCMC. Syed Kalim Imam, IG Islamabad,
Fazeel Asghar, Chief Commissioner , Islamabad, Saeed Tehsin Anwar Ali
Shah, IG Gilgit Baltistan, and Akbar Durrani, Home Secretary,
Balochistan.
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