Military moves to implement national plan against terror
* Meeting decides a brigadier-ranked officer will head each special court * Courts will work under administrative control of Field General Court Martial

By Sardar Sikander Shaheen

ISLAMABAD: The military command on Thursday reviewed its role as envisaged in the newly launched National Action Plan aimed at eliminating terrorism, and took decisions accordingly, including the upcoming deputation of army officers in the special trial courts being set up in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

In a top-level meeting of the command and staff officers at the General Headquarters (GHQ), Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif and his military aides discussed the upcoming formation of special trial courts in the FATA, and exchanged notes on the relevant specifications. The three-star and two-star generals and brigadiers, including corps commanders, principal staff officers, general officers commanding (GOCs) of respective divisions, field formation commanders and officials of Pakistan Army’s Adjutant General (AG) and Judge Advocate General (JAG) branches were part of the meeting, security sources shared with Daily Times.

The specifications on the establishment of special trial courts including the related requirements as well the number of the said courts were discussed in the military command’s meet-up, the sources said. Elaborating further, the officials said a brigadier-ranked officer would be the head of each special court comprising of other officers of lieutenant colonel and colonel ranks. “It depends on the requirements and the ground conditions in the tribal agencies the special courts are being set up in. The deputations would be made in the light of the pertinent factors,” the officials commented.

The special trial courts, it is further learnt, would be working under the administrative ambit of Field General Court Martial (FGCM) and their working would be supervised by the AG and JAG branch that would directly report to the GHQ. According to Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa, Thursday’s meeting reviewed all activities to be undertaken by the Army and intelligence agencies as part of National Action Plan. “The COAS directed all concerned in Army, intelligence agencies to initiate action on urgent basis for speedy and effective implementation,” he said on social media.

“Reiterating his unequivocal resolve to root out extremism, terrorism, COAS paid rich tributes to national political leadership for their spirit & unwavering resolve to rid Pakistan of this menace through reforms & administrative measures. The COAS hoped, in keeping with confidence & trust of the nation, we can transform this consensus into practical actions on ground,” Bajwa said on Twitter Thursday. The comments referred to the conduct of All Parties Conference (APC) on terrorism in Islamabad a day earlier on Wednesday chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and participated by all the mainstream parliamentary political parties. Following political consensus, the PM announced a 20-point National Action Plan that assigns the military the central role to eliminate terrorism.

Meanwhile, reiterating his resolve in unequivocal terms to root out menace of extremism and terrorism, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Thursday paid tribute to the national political leadership of the country for their spirit and unwavering resolve to rid Pakistan of this menace through reforms and administrative measures. The COAS made these remarks while chairing a high level security meeting held here. The COAS hoped that, in keeping with confidence and trust of the nation, “We can transform this consensus into practical actions on ground.” According to Director General, ISPR, Maj Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa, during the meeting, the COAS reviewed all activities to be undertaken by the Army and intelligence agencies as part of National Action Plan and directed all concerned to initiate actions on urgent basis for its speedy and effective implementation. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in his address to the nation on Wednesday said that the days of terrorists were numbered in Pakistan and that they would be dealt with a iron hand.

 

Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk

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