Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri calls for effective implementation of NAP

PAT Chairman Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that it was four years ago that the National Action Plan against terrorism and extremism was approved following the heart-rending APS Peshawar tragedy but it is unfortunate that the Plan could not be implemented in letter and spirit. He urged the government to immediately act upon the Plan to rid Pakistan of the scourge of hatred and extremism, stating that the 20-point national agenda should be rendered into an Act of Parliament. He said that the NAP had the support of the all political and religious forces of the country, Parliament and the state institutions. He said that revival of Islam and its bright future is closely linked to the promotion of peace, education and tolerance.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said this while talking to the central and provisional office holders of Minhaj-ul-Quran Ulama Council here at his residence yesterday. He prayed for early recovery of health of Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr. Justice Saqib Nisar and congratulated the Pakistan Cricket Team on white-washing New Zealand in the T20 series in the UAE. He credited the splendid team performance to the team work and said that the way we are getting good news from the playgrounds, may we get good news in terms of economic and political stability of the country as well.

Talking about the NAP, Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that those provisions of the NAP that were related to the military were fully implemented, whereas the civilian government was found wanting in terms of its share of the Plan. He said that Operations Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad were launched to break terrorism networks across the country through intelligence-based operations and a large number of terrorists and their accomplices were arrested with many of them getting capital punishment. He said that multiple actions led to marked reduction in the incidence of terrorism in the country.

The PAT Chairman said that reforms in criminal justice system, return of the Afghan refugees, improvements in the curriculum of religious seminaries, plugging supply of funds to terrorists, organized steps for elimination of terrorism with cooperation of the stakeholders at the provincial levels and elimination of literature that fostered sectarian hatred and disharmony were some of the key steps listed in the NAP. He regretted that despite passage of the four years since NAP was approved, no noticeable headway seems to have been made on these areas.

Dr Qadri said that the previous rulers killed our innocent workers and used the police to illegally arrest hundreds of them by implicating them in the fake cases but whenever the national interest demanded, we set aside our differences and extended all-out help to the government without thinking as to who is in the government. He further said that security of Pakistan and progress and prosperity of the people is foremost priority for us. He said that the government should dust off the document called NAP and implement it in the true sense of the word. He said that NACTA should be made administratively and economically independence so that it can function effectively as the focal institution in the anti-terrorism effort.