Govt very close to arresting Safoora Goth culprits: Nisar
* Interior minister says some arrests already made in the case; investigation moving in right direction *Controlling terrorism is not a T-20 match; bold decisions on the cards

KARACHI: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Monday said the law enforcement agencies had closed in on terrorists and their facilitators involved in the carnage of innocent people at Safoora Goth a few days back.

“We have detected the terrorists. Some arrests have also been made leading to clues. We are moving in the right direction. However, it will be premature to announce a success on this account,” he said while talking to the media at the Governor’s House.

The minister reiterated that the federal and provincial governments, armed forces, civil security forces and the people at large stood together against terrorism and would fight till the last terrorist was eliminated from the country.

He said that during meetings with law enforcement agencies’ officials, the Sindh governor and chief minister, many important decisions to counter terrorism and other crimes were made. It would, however, be better to implement the decisions instead of making them public, he added.

Nisar said an important meeting would soon be held in Islamabad where the government would come up with some tougher decisions and concrete steps in this regard.

He said that since June 2014, more than 10,000 intelligence-based operations had been carried out in various parts of the country, mainly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, in which some 36,000 accused of serious crimes, including terrorism and extremism, were arrested. Most of the operations were conducted by police and other civil forces, he added.

The minister said after launching the main operation under the National Action Plan supported by all major political parties, 3,000 intelligence-based operations were conducted.

There was now visible improvement in law and order situation in the country, including Karachi, he said, adding that before June 2013, the mega city had frequently witnessed a number of terror incidents, including bomb explosions.

“The enemies now are attacking soft targets,” he added.

Nisar said the elders of Safoora Goth victims had told him that they had never thought of any terrorist attack on them and that was why they had not demanded or arranged security for their compatriots shuttling between homes and workplaces or social places in the city.

The minister said he had specially flown to Karachi to get briefing from law enforcement agencies on the killing of innocent people in Safoora Goth bus incident, including women and children, hold consultation with the Sindh government on the overall law and order situation and condole with the grieved families.

He said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government had shown and proved its resolve to fight terrorism, extremism and other crimes. It had been pursuing its mission to ensure safety of life and property of every citizen. After 2001, he mentioned, the country was facing serious challenges of terrorism and extremism.

“This is not a T20 match. It will take time to eliminate terrorism from the country,” he remarked.

The interior minister said some 300 private security agencies were operating in Karachi with thousands of guards on their payroll. They were meant to complement the law enforcing agencies in their work. But certain agencies had failed to play their due role as most of their guards were untrained and could not resist terrorists and robbers.

He had also discussed the private agencies issue with Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and would take up the same with other chief ministers for a review of the policy, he added.

Chaudhry Nisar said the government was working on a uniform policy to issue armed licences in the country.

To a question, he said the government was alive to the issue of unregistered foreigners living in the country, mainly in Karachi. To handle the issue more effectively, the National Aliens Registration Authority (NARA) had been merged with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), he added.

First, he said, the government would give an opportunity to the aliens to get registered with NADRA. Then strict legal action would be taken against all those living in Pakistan illegally, he added.

Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk

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