KARACHI, June 15: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Monday stressed the need for adopting a more proactive approach to rein in terrorists who were trying to destabilise the country, official sources said.

Presiding over a high-level meeting at the Governor's House, Gen Musharraf, who had flown into the city on Sunday night, expressed serious concern over the prevailing law and order situation and urged the judiciary for 'active involvement in speedy disposal of cases involving acts of terrorism'.

The terrorist attacks in the city in which 72 people had been killed since May had seriously affected the writ of both the federal and provincial governments. The sources said that President Musharraf called for the revamping of police, cleansing it of political influence and making it accountable for law and order.

During the three-hour meeting, the shortcomings in intelligence gathering and scientific tracking down of the terrorist network came under review and measures to strengthen security agencies were discussed.

The meeting assumed great significance because of the change of guards in Sindh in the wake of a spate of terrorist attacks in the metropolis. The meeting was considered significant also because the president had to rush to Karachi while Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad was in London for consultations with Muttahida Qaumi Movement's chief Altaf Hussain on issues pertaining to cabinet formation and other 'unresolved matters', the sources said.

It was attended by Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat, Acting Governor Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim and senior military and civil officers.

President Musharraf reiterated his resolve that he would not allow anybody to destabilise the country in general and Karachi in particular, and in this context referred to the measures the government had taken against terrorists, as a result of which many wanted terrorists had been apprehended and clues to others had been found.

He directed the chief minister to take necessary measures, irrespective of political considerations, to maintain law and order and urged greater coordination between the provincial government and district governments.

He also underlined the crucial role of the district governments in the maintenance of law and order in the city and in other parts of the province. The president also expressed concern over the difficulties being faced by people in rural areas in getting justice.

Innocent people victimized by criminals must get justice, the president was quoted as saying. He pledged support and protection for judiciary for speedy dispensation of justice.

Gen Musharraf emphasized that the "government should be proactive and offensive rather than defensive against terrorists". While appreciating the success of police and paramilitary Rangers in rounding up terrorists, he said that honest and dedicated police officers should be encouraged and brought forward to improve the security situation.

The police should also endeavour to get hold of the mastermind and planners of the terrorist acts, he added. The president also emphasized the need to check the "misuse of mosques and madaris" and said that Nazims at all levels, down to the union council, could play an important role in eradicating sectarian hatred.

He also called for the effective monitoring and curbing of 'chanda' collection at various places on different pretexts, misuse of loudspeaker, distribution of posters and handbills.

The president proposed to review the role of persons employed for security duties and suggested the use of Nadra's identification system, composite camera system and other technical means to apprehend culprits.

He called for efforts to bridge the gap between policy formulation and implementation to ensure good governance. Syed Muzaffar Shah gave a brief review of the situation in Karachi and proposed that institutional and Karachi-specific arrangements should be made for urban, religious and aliens issues, rather than piece-meal steps.

He stressed the need for promoting interaction among Ulema, Mashaikh, intelligentsia and other segments of the society. Chief Minister Dr Arbab Rahim briefed the meeting on actions taken by him and his plans for improving law and order situation and solving problems of the province.

Interior Minister Faisal Hayat said that the federal government was fully behind the provincial government and would provide every assistance to maintain law and order in Sindh.

He said that a decision had been taken to revamp the police force and resolved that no political interference or pressure would be tolerated in using the strength of the force to effectively deal with terrorists.

Earlier, Inspector-General of Police Syed Kamal Shah gave a resume of the recent terrorist incidents and apprised the meeting about the busting of 30 terrorist and sectarian groups and arrest of 184 terrorist, out of whom 79 had been convicted, and recovery of huge quantities of explosive and weapons. He also briefed the meeting on the arrest of some of the terrorists involved in the attack on the corps commander's convoy.