Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that political and military leadership and the entire nation was fighting with full force against terrorists, their supporters and facilitators. He said that Afghan refugees residing in Punjab would be sent back to their country and a survey was being conducted in this regard. He said that it has been decided that male and female students studying in religious seminaries whose visa has expired will be deported.
He said that with the consultation of Provincial Apex Committee, 43 cases of terrorism have been sent to the federal government for sending them to military courts, out of which, 10 have been finalised. He said that 1,000 biometric machines being imported through which after combing operation, suspects will be identified. He said that modern scanners were also being imported for scanning of vehicles.
The Punjab Chief Minister said that terrorism was number one enemy of the country and all-out steps were being taken for ridding the country of the menace of terrorism, extremism and sectarianism. He said that the nation will not tolerate any negligence in the war against terrorism and nor it was the time. He expressed these views while speaking at a press conference with regard to steps taken for elimination of terrorism.
Punjab Ministers Colonel (Retd) Shuja Khanzada, Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Atta Manika, Members of Punjab Assembly Rana Sanaullah, Zaeem Hussain Qadri, the Inspector General of Police, the Home Secretary and concerned officials were present on the occasion.
Shahbaz Sharif said that more than 50,000 Pakistanis, including officers, jawans of armed forces, police, politicians, their relatives, children and citizens have sacrificed their lives in the war against terrorism. He said that terrorists killed innocent children in the Peshawar Army Public School on December 16, 2014, and due to their blood, the entire nation from Peshawar to Karachi has united against terrorism. He said that terrorism will be rooted out with the force of national unity. He said under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, regular meetings were being held with regard to war against terrorism and political, military and religious leadership was participating in these meetings. He said the entire nation was determined to defeat terrorists and there was a complete harmony between the federal government and the provincial government with regard to elimination of the menace of terrorism. He said the scourge of terrorism will have to be eliminated for the elimination of poverty, ignorance, unemployment and corruption besides increasing resources and there was no other way. He said it was need of the hour to root out terrorism in order to make Pakistan a truly welfare state in accordance with the vision of Quaid-e-Azam and Iqbal and realising the dreams of those who sacrificed their lives for the creation of the country.
Referring to steps taken by the Punjab government for the elimination of terrorism, the Punjab Chief Minister said that the law regarding wall-chalking, delivering of provocative speeches, misuse of loudspeaker and publication and distribution of literature promoting religious hatred was being strictly implemented while amendments have been made in the laws for making sentences more stringent.
Shahbaz Sharif said the Provincial Apex Committee was working actively and immediate and effective measures were being taken. He said that steps were also being taken to make additional subjects of tolerance, restraint, peace, love and sacrifice a part of syllabus of schools, universities and seminaries. He said that a fully trained Counter-Terrorism Force has been set up in the province and its first batch has passed out. He said that modern equipments and helicopters would be provided to the Counter-Terrorism Force. He said the Counter-Terrorism Force comprise educated youth who has been selected on merit. He said that the second batch of the force will past out in April and the third in August. The Chief Minister said that a Rapid Response Force has also been established in Punjab and it had imparted training with the co-operation of the army and the help of friendly countries. He said the most modern forensic lab of South Asia was operating in Lahore and its branches were being established in nine divisions of the Punjab province.
He said the Safe City Project has been launched from Lahore and it will be completed by December. He said that the scope of this project was being extended to five big cities of Punjab. He said the digital mapping of all seminaries was being carried out in the province. He said that the war against terrorism can be won with the help of an effective intelligence system therefore the intelligence wing is being strengthened. He said that life and property of the masses and elimination of terrorism were top priority of the government and billions of rupees were being spent for the purpose.
Shahbaz Sharif said the Punjab government was meeting expenses being incurred on the elimination of terrorism from its own resources and has the complete guidance of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for this purpose. He said that indiscriminate action was being taken against terrorists by removing the confusion of good and bad terrorists and political, military and religious leadership is united in this regard. He said neither the goal of development and prosperity of the country can be achieved without eliminating terrorism nor it can be transformed into a welfare state in accordance with the ideals of Quaid-e-Azam and Iqbal.
The Punjab Chief Minister said that if "we lost this chance and did not play our role for elimination of terrorism, Pakistan will never be able to stand on its own feet". He expressed the hope that the time will come when terrorism will be eliminated from the country and it will become a haven of peace. He said that besides bullet, education, health, justice and economic activities would have to be promoted and poverty and unemployment to be eliminated. He said "we have given laptops to lakhs of male and female students on merit in Punjab. He said that opportunities of quality education have been provided to talented children of poorest families through the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund, Punjab Education Foundation and Daanish Schools. Shahbaz Sharif said that shelter has been provided to shelterless people through Ashiyana Housing Schemes. He said that 50,000 vehicles were being provided to the educated youth in a transparent manner for their business under the self-employment scheme. He said that billions of rupees were being spent for providing potable water to the citizens. He said that a gigantic project of construction of roads from farms to markets has been started. He said that work on energy projects was being carried out speedily for overcoming the energy crisis. The Chief Minister said that first solar project of the country has been set up at Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park in Bahawalpur. He said that European Company VESTAS has identified the corridors for generating energy through wind in Punjab. He said that iron ore and copper reserves have been discovered at Chiniot Rajwa. He said that friendly countries were happy over discovery of mineral reserves while enemies were perturbed as they do not want progress of Pakistan. Shahbaz Sharif said that "we eliminated corruption from the mineral reserves project of Chiniot Rajwa and brought it before the people". He said that "we have converted the graveyards of corruption of former rulers of dictatorial regimes into minarets of development. He said that elimination of terrorism, extremism and sectarianism was vital for achieving these objectives. He said that elimination of poverty and unemployment was essential for elimination of terrorism and extremism and the Punjab government has taken correct measures in this regard. The Chief Minister said that "we are taking sincere steps for eliminating terrorism and expressed the hope that Allah Almighty will help us and we will certainly win the war against terrorism". Referring to the role of media in the war against terrorism, Shahbaz Sharif said that media also has to play a responsible role in this regard. He said that guidance and encouragement of media was needed to combat terrorism. If unfortunately the believers of one Allah, one Prophet and one Book have divided into groups, than the media has to make its efforts for bridging this gap, he added. Shahbaz Sharif said that it was the responsibility of the media to present such programmes which can help eliminate religious hatred and extremism. He said that history will never forget this invaluable service of the media.
Replying to questions, the Chief Minister said that the agenda of eliminating terrorism will be forwarded seriously and Pakistan will become a peaceful country. Replying to another question, he said that the enemy was bent upon to weaken Pakistan but 'we have to foil its nefarious designs through power of unity'.
Replying to the question about foreign students studying in religious seminaries of Punjab, he said that complete survey of seminaries is being conducted and it has revealed that there are about 400 such students whose visa has expired. A letter has been written to the federal government and on its reply they will be deported from Punjab. To another question, Shahbaz Sharif said that majority of seminaries was promoting religious education. He said that some institutions could have links in the promotion of extremism. He said that terrorism was the name of a mindset and we have to eliminate this mindset.
To another question, Shahbaz Sharif said the European Union has put pressure about executions but Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif did not accept the pressure as the situation in European countries was different from Pakistan. He said that 'we have to eliminate trends of extremism and every person of the society has to play its role for making the country a haven of peace'.
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