- Fighting extremism is part of national policy: Prime Minister
ISLAMABAD, October 4: Meeting of the National Security Committee, presided over by the Prime Minister on Tuesday has expressed satisfaction over preparedness of Pakistan Army and its ability to deal with any coercive action taken against the country.
The premier, Nawaz Sharif chaired two back-to-back meetings today in the federal capital, the second of which was National Security Committee’s.
Chairman Joint Chief of Staff, General Rashid Mehmood, Chief of Army Staff, General Raheel Sharif, Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sohail Aman and Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Zakaullah attended the meeting along with civil representatives including Chief Ministers of four provinces, Federal Ministers for Defence, Finance and Interior.
Director General of Inter-Service Intelligence, Director General of Military Operations, Director General of Military Intelligence, National Security Advisor, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and Foreign Secretary also took part in the session today.
The meeting was briefed by ISI DG, Lt General Rizwan Akhtar on Occupied Kashmir and situation at the Line of Control and along the de facto border while Military Operations Director General gave out details over Indian aggression at the border.
Foreign Secretary also briefed the National Security Committee over premier’s visit to United States and address to the General Assembly of United Nations to highlight Indian atrocities in Kashmir.
The meeting showed determination to retaliate to any Indian attack befittingly.
In his address to the participants, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
said that Pakistan would continue its efforts for stability and peace in the region.
The meeting agreed that India lacked the capability to carry out a successful offensive against Pakistani forces.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also chaired a top-level meeting on Tuesday to review implementation of National Action Plan during which he said that the government was fighting extremism as it was a part of Pakistan’s national policy.
The meeting today was attended by Chief of the Army Staff, General Raheel Sharif among other top representatives.
The premier, while addressing the participants said that the government was pursuing fight against extremism as part of national policy and that the nation was expecting elimination of terrorism from the leaders.
He vowed to meet the expectations of the people by targeting all banned outfits and weeding-out extremism.
A joint declaration issued after the meeting called for close coordination among national institutions along with setting time lines for future course-of-action and taking steps towards effective criminal justice system.
National Security Advisor, General (r) Nasir Janjua briefed the participants over National Action Plan that was devised in early 2015 in response to Army Public School attack in Peshawar in December 2014.
Chief Ministers of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Sindh were present on the occasion along with, Advisers on Foreign Affairs and National Security, Foreign Secretary, Services Chiefs, Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence, Ministers of Defence, Interior, Information and that of Finance.
The premier convened a separate meeting with the Chief of Army Staff before sitting together with other top representatives for taking a look at NAP progress and shortcomings.
General Raheel Sharif discussed the situation at the Line of Control and overall security of the region and the country with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The meeting came to a welcoming response by defence analysts as according to them it was a signifier of understanding between civil and military leaders of Pakistan when it came to Kashmir dispute and unjust Indian aggression.
This was one of the several key meetings that the Prime Minister convened in a week after India falsely named ceasefire violation at the Line of Control, surgical strike.
PM Nawaz has now chaired a meeting of National Security Committee after reviewing NAP performance.-Agencies
