OUR nation has been through the wringer when it comes to dealing with the scourge of terrorism. Our brave army has been working tirelessly to protect innocent citizens, and many of our soldiers have rendered the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Despite this, the morale of our armed forces has remained high, which is crucial in our quest to root out the menace that has the potential to harm our nation.

As the saying goes, united we stand; divided we fall. We cannot win against terrorism without the support of the people. That is why the recent amendment to Section 54 of the Telecommunication Authority Act, 1996, is a step in the right direction. The power to intercept and trace telephone calls and messages is likely to bring anti-state elements into the spotlight. Those who do nothing wrong will naturally have nothing to fear. We must support our country’s efforts to weed out the wrongdoers.

This amendment was long overdue. We hope that the move will bring peace to our nation and ensure that the wrongdoers face the music without any loopholes. The government deserves a pat on the back for this bold move, and we hope to see more such amendments in the future. One wonders what the major opposition party in the country has been up to recently.

Riaz Ali Panhwar
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2024