• NAP apex committee okays military operation against banned outfits, vows to revitalise Nacta
• PM stresses link between peace and economic stability
• Questions PTI’s focus on sit-ins over country’s progress ahead of Nov 24 protest
• Army chief reaffirms resolve to eliminate threats

ISLAMABAD: The Nat­i­­o­nal Action Plan (NAP) apex committee on Tues­day approved a full-fled­ged military operation in Balo­ch­istan to target militancy and separatist movements.

The committee once again vowed to revitalise the National Counter-Terr­orism Authority (Nacta) under the vision of Azm-i-Istehkam to eradicate resurging terrorism.

Presiding over the mee­ting, Prime Minister She­h­baz Sharif expressed a firm commitment to crush the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which has been implicated in recent attacks on civilians and security forces in the province.

The meeting was atte­nd­ed by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir, all chief ministers, the prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, federal cabinet members and senior officials.

“The participants also approved a comprehens­ive military operation aga­inst terrorist organisat­ions operating in Baloch­is­tan, including the Majeed Brigade, BLA, BLF (Baloc­h­is­tan Liberation Front) and BRAS (Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar), who are targeting innocent civilians and foreign nationals to scuttle Pakistan’s economic progress by creating insecurity at the behest of hostile external powers,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.

It said the COAS reiterated the Pakistan Army’s unwavering resolve to eliminate all threats to national security and support the government’s initiatives to ensure peace and stability.

The apex committee mee­ting focused on “Rein­v­i­gorating Pakistan’s Cou­n­ter-Terrorism Camp­a­ign”, with participants being briefed on measures to counter terrorism, act­ion against efforts to stoke sub-nationalism, religious extremism and disinformation campaigns, among other issues.

The committee highlighted the need for a unified political voice and a cohesive national narrative to address these multifaceted challenges effectively.

It was emphasised that political support across party lines and complete national consensus are critical to reinvigorating the national counterterrorism campaign under the framework of Vision Azm-i-Istehkam.

Threat assessment cell

“The revitalisation of Nacta and the establishm­ent of National and Provi­n­cial Intelligence Fusion and Threat Assessment Cen­tre was also agreed upon,” the PMO statement said.

A whole-of-system appr­o­ach was adopted, incorporating diplomatic, political, informational, intelligence, socio-economic and military efforts to address these issues comprehensively.

The committee also decided to establish district coordination committees under the provincial apex committees to implement federal and provincial directives seamlessly.

Addressing the participants, the prime minister said the country was moving on the path to stability due to the economic efforts and sincerity of purpose shown by all the stakeholders in governments, from the provincial chief ministers to the federation.

He said economic and political stability were interrelated and no society could aspire to progress with these two vital factors. “It is imperative for the economic and political stability that all the leadership should play their due role,” he added.

The premier stressed that the country’s progress and prosperity were linked with peace and an end to terrorism.

‘Sit-ins or progress?’

As the meeting took place days before PTI’s planned sit-in on Nov 24 (Sunday), PM Shehbaz urged the main opposition party to think about whether it wanted sit-ins or the progress of the country.

“Our Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit was successful, but such occasions have often been disrupted by sit-ins. It is time to decide whether we want protests or progress,” he told the participants.

“The choice is yours. Time and tide wait for none,” the prime minister urged the opposition party without naming it in the presence of PTI leader and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

The government has vowed to prevent PTI’s rally. Main highways and motorways leading to the capital are expected to be blocked, and clashes between police and PTI supporters at all entry points of the city are anticipated.

At the conclusion of Tuesday’s meeting, PM Shehbaz directed all stakeholders to pursue the outlined initiatives with vigour, ensuring their timely implementation.

He underscored the importance of sustained, coordinated efforts to protect Pakistan’s sovereignty.

PTI’s demands ‘unrealistic’

Meanwhile, PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui criticised PTI’s demands on Tuesday as “unrealistic and impractical” but insisted that the government remain open to dialogue on reasonable issues.

“There can be no talks about irrational demands such as repealing the 26th amendment, returning the self-claimed mandate, dropping cases and releasing all prisoners,” he said, adding that PTI pushed itself into a dead end after announcing the Nov 24 protests.

He said that during Imran Khan’s tenure, false and absurd cases like treason and heroin were fabricated, and opposition members were imprisoned.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2024