KARACHI (Web Desk) – A special apex committee meeting, attended by senior Sindh government officials and the army and intelligence top brass on Thursday, has decided to extend law enforcement agencies writ to Karachi’s weakly governed areas, local media reported.
At the conclusion of hours-long meeting held at the Corps Headquarters in Karachi, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Raheel Sharif vowed to continue “across the board operations” at an increased tempo and hunt down terrorists who commit heinous acts.
DG ISPR Major General Asim Bajwa announced that the meeting had assessed ongoing operations against terrorists, and touched upon directing intelligence agencies to assist in the “exploitation of existing leads” in all operations. Weekly apex committee meetings were also announced, he added.
“Effective policing and surveillance will be carried out in Karachi’s suburbs to prevent sneaking terrorist attacks,” DG ISPR said.
…8)Effective policing & surveillance in vast suburbs of Kci to prevent sneaking terrorist attks, -7
— AsimBajwaISPR (@AsimBajwaISPR) May 14, 2015
Bajwa also said that all criminals and abettors would be arrested regardless of their political, religious, sectarian, ethnic, or other affiliations.
…3)Apprehension of criminals&abettors regardless of political,religious,ethnic,sectarian or any other affiliations & proscribed outfits-4
— AsimBajwaISPR (@AsimBajwaISPR) May 14, 2015
The spokesman also said a system was being devised for strict checking at all entry and exit points in the country, and that an internal subcommittee would allow for more effective civil-military cooperation in order to increase the efficiency of information-based operations.
9)Transparency/merit based appt of various dept officials with oversight mech to help the system for long term sustainability-8
— AsimBajwaISPR (@AsimBajwaISPR) May 14, 2015
The participants of the meeting agreed on the need to extend governance and increase presence of law enforcement agencies in those areas of Karachi that are weakly governed spaces, and stressed on the need to investigate channels of funding for terrorists, militants and criminals.
The meeting was held a day after the horrific attack on a bus carrying Ismaili community members in which 45 people were killed near Karachi’s Safoora Chowrangi.
According to the ISPR statement, the meeting was held to discuss the law and order situation in the country, especially yesterday’s massacre on Ismaili community members.
In the wake of the deadly attack, COAS Gen Raheel Sharif cancelled his visit to Sri Lanka and arrived in Karachi to attend a high-level meeting on the city’s security situation chaired by the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at Governor House. He stayed overnight in Karachi.
The apex committee meeting was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar, Inspector General (IG) Sindh Ghulam Hyder Jamali, Sindh chief secretary, Director General of Military Intelligence (DGMI), Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Amir Riaz and the Director General (DG) ISPR Major Gen Asim Bajwa.
At least 44 people were killed when armed gunmen boarded a bus and opened indiscriminate fire on commuters from the Ismaili community.
Taliban splinter group Jundullah, which has attacked minorities in Pakistan before, claimed responsibility for the attack.
