ISLAMABAD, July 15: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Friday directed law-enforcement agencies to launch a countrywide campaign against collection of donations, display of arms, use of loudspeakers and holding of gathering by banned outfits and remove all hate material from markets by December this year.

The directive, seen by political observers as a new campaign against extremism following last week’s London attacks, in which three of the four suicide bombers were ethnic Pakistani Britons, were issued at a meeting attended by about 200 senior police and law-enforcement agencies officers from all over the country, including Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas.

Speaking at the unprecedented gathering, the president reiterated the government’s resolve not to allow banned militants organisations to resurface using other names.

“You must enforce an end to publication and distribution of hate material including pamphlets, booklets and CDs. Writers, publishers and distributors of all such literature must be held accountable in accordance with the law. You must ensure that such material is not available in the markets latest by December this year,” he said.

The president said the country was committed to combating sectarianism and terrorism in any form. He made it clear that the government would not tolerate extremism and would continue to combat the menace of terrorism with unflinching determination and force, as it was in the interest of Pakistan’s continued socio-economic progress.

President Musharraf said the new measures should not be seen as anti-religion but were meant to curb the ‘extremist minority’ harming Pakistan’s interest and tarnishing the image of Islam.

“No government can be anti-religion — Pakistan undoubtedly is an ideological state and is an Islamic republic. We have to take it forward as a modern, dynamic, progressive and forward looking Islamic state,” he said.

The meeting was also attended by Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao, Interior Secretary Kamal Shah and National Crisis Management Cell’s Director-General Brigadier Javed Iqbal Cheema.

The president also ordered constitution of a committee under the interior ministry to address issues facing law-enforcement agencies’ personnel. He said there was a need for better emoluments for the police force and stated that the government would provide necessary financial resources for the law-enforcement agencies.

Talking to Dawn, the interior minister said the president stressed the need for improving the country’s image in the comity of nations.

“The president desired that Pakistan should enter the next year with a better image and as a progressive and forward-looking Islamic state,” the minister said

President Musharraf said the government would not allow any representatives of militant organisations to collect donations in any form and hold gatherings. “Anyone found indulging in these activities would be strictly dealt with in accordance with the law,” he added.

The president said nobody should be allowed to brandish weapons as the government would provide full support to police in their action against extremists.

The president said he would review the progress of the drive against extremism, sectarianism and terrorism and would judge the results on the basis of feedback from the people.

Tracing the fallout of regional events, particularly unrest and strife in Afghanistan, the president said that Pakistan had to redress the repercussions on its society for the country’s unhampered development.

Talking about the country’s efforts to curb terrorism, the president said that Pakistan would continue its operation against terrorists and eliminate masterminds and planners from the country.

Pakistan, he underscored, stood at cross-roads in its history and there was an urgent need to address extremism existing on the fringes of its society.

“We have to transform the society and bring about harmony for our long-term progress, we owe it to our future generations to rid the country of the malaise of extremism and allowing the vast moderate majority to progress and proper in accordance with our immense potential,” he said.

President Musharraf praised the efforts of police and other law-enforcement agencies in the war against terrorism, saying that so far 700 terrorists had been arrested.

Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao apprised the president about the efforts of law-enforcement agencies to combat terrorism and said so far 400 personnel had laid down lives for the cause.