Pakistan’s federal government has announced a comprehensive strategy to counter the activities of terrorist organizations, particularly their growing presence on social media. The announcement followed a high-level meeting of the National Action Plan (NAP) Coordination Committee, chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
The meeting revealed that 206 terrorists were killed in 7,984 intelligence-based operations conducted through October of this year. A key focus of the new strategy will be curbing the activities of banned terrorist groups on social media platforms.
This will involve blocking accounts in collaboration with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), and provinces will implement comprehensive strategies to combat the use of illegal SIM cards.
The committee directed all relevant agencies, including the PTA, to present effective mechanisms at the next meeting. Interior Minister Naqvi expressed deep concern over recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, vowing full support to enhance the counter-terrorism capabilities of forces in those provinces.
The government plans to strengthen police and Frontier Constabulary forces, improve overall security, and equip all provincial police forces with modern technology. Minister Naqvi pledged to prioritize the needs of law enforcement agencies, ordering a report within seven days detailing their requirements.
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The NAP’s role will be strengthened, with Minister Naqvi stating that reforms are underway to restore its original mandate as a leading force in the fight against terrorism. The meeting also reviewed security measures for Chinese citizens in Pakistan, with Naqvi ordering full implementation of a comprehensive security plan for their protection. Furthermore, the government will provide resources to the coast guard to combat narcotics smuggling in coastal areas.
The meeting reviewed the progress of counter-terrorism initiatives, including the establishment of a Counter-Terrorism Authority in Islamabad. National Coordinator for NAP, Khalid Khattak, provided a detailed briefing on the implementation of decisions from previous review meetings.
The meeting was attended by the Federal Secretary of Interior, the National Coordinator for NAP, all Inspector Generals of Police, the Inspector General of Railways Police, the Commandant of Frontier Constabulary, the Inspector General of Islamabad Police, and senior officials from the Ministry of Interior and law enforcement agencies.
