Home TRENDING MEETINGS OF THE HIGHEST-LEVEL COMMITTEES ARE CONVENED TO ELIMINATE TERRORISM.

MEETINGS OF THE HIGHEST-LEVEL COMMITTEES ARE CONVENED TO ELIMINATE TERRORISM.

MEETINGS OF THE HIGHEST-LEVEL COMMITTEES ARE CONVENED TO ELIMINATE TERRORISM.

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ISLAMABAD:
On Monday, caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti claimed that Army Chief of Staff (COAS) Asim Munir had issued a clear warning that any security personnel implicated in illegal border crossings would be subject to a court martial and perhaps imprisonment.

Interim Ministers Sarfaraz Bugti and Information Minister Murtaza Solangi address a press conference in Islamabad on October 2, 2023. PHOTO: PID

The Interior Minister, joined by Interim Information Minister Murtaza Solangi, held a press conference in the nation’s capital to discuss the effectiveness of recent steps adopted to reduce smuggling.

Bugti stated that, in addition to creating several check points with the help of the customs department, Frontier Corps, and other institutions, the government had taken strict efforts to control the smuggling of wheat, urea, sugar, and petroleum products.

More than a thousand police reports have been filed in an effort to crack down on “Hundi Hawala” and “dollar smuggling.” There is still an active anti-drug effort underway, with 242 reported incidents thus far.

No one would be above the law, he emphasised. Smuggling’s powerful aspects are being halted, too. There is zero tolerance for anyone, no matter how powerful they may be.

The minister of the interior responded to a question by saying, “It won’t be right to say that the security forces were not involved in smuggling, as these [smuggled] items were transported via trucks and not on camels.”

Bugti claims that, during a recent meeting at which he was present, the army chief warned “his people” that security officers implicated in transnational smuggling would be subject to both a court martial and incarceration.

“The army chief has told his people very clearly that not only will there be court-martials, but those who are involved in such activities will also be sent to jail,” he continued.

The minister of the interior insisted that the army’s internal accountability system was a private matter that should not have been made public. However, he said that the May 9 riots revealed the army’s accountability mechanism.

Bugti promised that the increasing number of terrorist attacks will be addressed by holding multiple sessions of an apex committee, adding, “You will see changes in the days to come.”

His words were made in response to the recent explosions that took place in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

On the 12th of Rabiul Awwal, a suicide bomber assaulted a religious procession in Mastung, killing at least 60 people. In Zhob, four troops were slaughtered.

Five persons were murdered in a bombing in Hangu, K-P, on the same day a mosque roof was destroyed by an explosion.
We want to fix items that people use on a regular basis, but we only have so much time and power. I can assure you that we show no favouritism to anyone, no matter how powerful they may be,” he declared.

In response to another inquiry, Bugti stated that inquiries into recent terrorist acts were ongoing.

Previous occurrences in Balochistan had been traced back to RAW’s participation. Once the investigation into the recent bombing is complete, we will release information about those responsible for it.

The minister praised the country’s security forces, saying they had the ability and guts to combat “any kind of violence.”
Terrorists become more anxious as a result of security activities, leading to an increase in attacks. They misinterpret that if they blow up buildings in the state, it will make them look bad, therefore they strive to do it.

The minister pledged to keep up the fight against the terrorists until the very last criminal was arrested.

He stressed that nobody could use force to enforce their will. He continued, saying that Pakistan has become a “hardened state” and that the latest attacks were not “unexpected” because of this.

Bugti stated that he had met with the Election Commission of Pakistan on Monday and that additional meetings will be held in the following days to discuss the organisation of the upcoming general elections.

‘If the need for additional security emerges, the government will turn to the state institutions,’ he said.

The interior minister called Nawaz Sharif’s planned Oct. 21 return to the country “encouraging,” emphasising that the PML-N misunderstood his statement concerning the former premier’s arrest upon his arrival.

Bugti had earlier in the interview stated that if Nawaz did not post bail upon his return, he would be detained.

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