Anti-Terrorism Strategy: PM To Chair High Level Meeting Today

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has convened a high level meeting on Monday to chalk out strategy to curb the growing terrorism and extremism. All the four chief ministers, provincial home ministers, chief secretaries, and heads of police and intelligence agencies would attend the meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister at the PM Secretariat.

The meeting has been convened in the aftermath of the twin suicide blasts at the shrine of Data Darbar in Lahore. The meeting would thoroughly review the security situation and more stern steps are likely to be taken to curb militancy. The meeting will also discuss establishing a body to co-ordinate between the Interior Ministry and provincial home departments as well among the intelligence agencies for swift action on the intelligence reports. There have been complaints by the federal authorities that the provincial home departments often ignore intelligence reports sent to them by the centre.

The meeting would be given extensive briefing on the present law and order situation by Interior Minister Rehman Malik as well as by the intelligence chiefs on their respective areas.

The meeting would also decide the schedule for a national conference of country’s political leadership as the Prime Minister has announced to hold this week on a suggestion by PM-N Chief Nawaz Sharif. Religious scholars from different schools of thought, top management of military and civilian intelligence agencies and members of a parliamentary committee on the national security would also be invited to the conference.