A National Action Plan (NAP) progress report was presented in the Senate on Friday by Minister of State for Interior Balighur Rehman during question hour.
The briefing comes as the military appears to have a renewed focus on NAP with the launch of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad across the country following a spate of terror attacks.
Radd-ul-Fasaad — which translates roughly to 'elimination of discord' — is aimed towards indiscriminately eliminating the "residual/latent threat of terrorism", consolidating the gains made in other military operations, and further ensuring the security of Pakistan's borders, the Inter-Services Public Relations had said.
The salient points of the NAP progress report acquired by South Punjab News are below. The information has not been independently verified.
Action under Interior Ministry
Dismantling the communications network of terrorists
- 9,83,00,000 SIMS blocked.
- Biometric Verification System in place for issuance of new SIMS.
Establishing a Counter-Terrorism Force
Strengthening, activation of Nacta
- Joint Intelligence Directorate: Member JID appointed, core group recruitment underway
- Office space: PMI Building allotted by PM/Capital Hotel Building hired (5 years)
- Budget 2016-17: Rs1.56 billion
- NCMC merger: Merged into National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) operations wing
- Human resources: 31 BS 17-22 officers, 73 BS 1-16 officers, recruitment advertised
Terrorists executed
At least 414 terrorists were executed under the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
Special trial courts
190 cases were transferred to special courts, and 11 courts were notified.
Karachi operation
The Karachi operation against terrorists and their facilitators has seen reduction in the following:
- Terrorism: 90pc
- Target killing: 91pc
- Murder: 62pc
- Robberies: 48pc
Additionally, 33,378 weapons have been recovered by law enforcement agencies during the operation.
Action under provincial governments
Action against armed militias
- Visibility of armed militias curtailed
- 1,865 terrorists killed
- 5,611 terrorists arrested
Countering hate speech, extremist literature
- 1,335 cases registered for hate speech/material
- 2,465 people arrested for hate speech/material
- 70 shops sealed for hate speech/material
- 16,267 cases registered for misuse of loudspeakers
- 16,824 people arrested for misuse of loudspeakers
- 5,141 pieces of equipment linked to misuse of loudspeakers confiscated
Safeguarding against re-emergence of proscribed outfits
- 64 proscribed organisations identified
- 3 organisations under surveillance
- 8,309 people on fourth schedule
- 2,052 restrictions on movement enforced
Steps against religious persecution
- Data being collected by Nacta
Registration, regulation of seminaries
Progress on geo-mapping of seminaries along standard parameters by provincial governments:
- Punjab: 100pc
- Sindh: 100pc
- KP: 75pc
- Balochistan: 60pc
- Fata: 85pc
Seminaries closed by provincial governments:
- Punjab: 2
- Sindh: 2,311
- KP: 13
- Balochistan: 1
Militancy in Punjab
- Government of Punjab. (No further information provided under this subheading.)
Steps towards Baloch reconciliation
Surrender, reconciliation and rehabilitation of 'ferraris' in progress.
Ending sectarian terrorism
The following number of incidents of sectarian terrorism were recorded:
Revamping the criminal justice system
Nacta is preparing a reform package which will be presented to the federal government and, if approved, circulated to the provinces for adoption.
Action under federal government, ministries
Choking terror financing
Hawala/hundi cases
- Registered: 681
- Under investigation: 102
- Acquittals: 33
- Arrests: 931
- Recovery: Rs885.38m
Anti-money laundering cases
- Total: 283
- Under investigation: 136
- Under trial: 147
- Conviction: 0
- Acquittals: 0
- Arrests: 414
Suspicious transaction reports
- Received from FMU: 148
- Converted into cases: 32
- Closed: 14
- Under enquiry: 102
Countering Terrorism Finance units are being established in the provincial Counter-Terrorism Departments, and the CTF has been made an integral part of investigations under the ATA by the CTDs.
- Draft bill of the Anti-Money Laundering Act prepared
Ban on glorification of terrorists in media
Strict implementation of ban on electronic media on airing content regarding proscribed organisations and their activists is being enforced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority.
Fata reforms
- Committee constituted under Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has submitted a report to the federal government on the matter. Further action is underway.
Measures against abuse of internet, social media
- Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act 2015 passed
- 937 URLs and 10 websites of proscribed organisations blocked by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and information ministry
Resolving issues of Afghan refugees
- Dec 31, 2017, announced as date of return for registered refugees and POR card holders
- Nov 15, 2016 was the date announced for the undocumented Afghan refugees
Renewed focus on NAP?
Operation Radd-ul-Fasad is intended to be a continuation of NAP, according to the ISPR notification which announced the operation.
Widely criticised for its apparently half-hearted implementation, NAP had been formulated after the devastating attack on Army Public School Peshawar in December 2014.
As part of the plan, military courts were established to fast-track terrorism cases. Intelligence-based operations across the country were initiated to disrupt and destroy terror networks in urban and rural areas. The plan had also laid an emphasis on curtailing terror financing.
NAP had also promised to take action against seminaries involved in militancy, but the government had dithered on bringing them under control, apparently for fear of backlash from religious parties as well as militants.
The plan further envisaged countering hate speech and extremist material through the powers vested in the provincial police and other authorities. Pemra and other regulatory authorities were tasked with checking and banning glorification of terrorism and militant groups through print and electronic media. The drafting of the Electronic Media Code of Conduct was also a positive step.
The provinces were further instructed under NAP to raise a counter-terrorism force under a dedicated command structure.
