Islamabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has underscored the importance of sustained and coordinated efforts to protect the country’s sovereignty, ensure the safety of citizens, and reinforce economic and social stability. Chairing a meeting of the Federal Apex Committee of the National Action Plan in Islamabad, he directed all stakeholders to pursue the outlined initiatives with vigor, ensuring their timely implementation.

According to Radio Pakistan, the meeting was attended by members of the Federal Cabinet, Provincial Chief Ministers, Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir, and senior government officials. The agenda focused on ‘Reinvigorating Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Campaign’. Participants were briefed on the evolving security landscape and the measures being taken to counter terrorism and other critical challenges, including the general law and order situation, actions against efforts to stoke sub-nationalism, religious extremism, tackling the illegal spectrum and crime-terror nexus,
subversion, and disinformation campaigns.

The Committee highlighted the necessity of a unified political voice and a cohesive national narrative to effectively address these multifaceted challenges. It was emphasized that political support across party lines and complete national consensus are critical to reinvigorating the national counter-terrorism campaign under the framework of Vision Azm-e-Istehkam. Revitalization of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) and the establishment of National and Provincial Intelligence Fusion and Threat Assessment Centres were also agreed upon.

In the meeting, a whole-of-system approach was adopted, incorporating diplomatic, political, informational, intelligence, socio-economic, and military efforts to address these issues comprehensively. Specific emphasis was placed on strengthening collaboration between federal and provincial governments and relevant institutions and ministries to ensure seamless execution of the counter-terrorism campaign.

It was decided t
o establish District Coordination Committees under the Provincial Apex Committees to ensure the implementation of directions received from Federal and Provincial Governments. The forum demonstrated political resolve to dismantle the ecosystem of illegal spectrum and the crime-terror nexus.

The participants also approved a comprehensive military operation against terrorist organizations operating in Balochistan, including the Majeed Brigade, BLA, BLF, and BRAS, who are targeting innocent civilians and foreign nationals to scuttle Pakistan’s economic progress by creating insecurity at the behest of hostile external powers. In the meeting, the Chief of Army Staff reiterated the Pakistan Army’s unwavering resolve to eliminate all threats to national security and provide robust support to the government’s initiatives aimed at ensuring peace and stability.