The Punjab government has submitted a comprehensive report on action taken under the National Action Plan (NAP) on terrorism. The province has intensified crackdowns against banned outfits, especially focusing on cutting of their sources of funding, reported Tribune. Additional Advocate General Razzaq A Mirza submitted the report on behalf of the Punjab chief secretary before the two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja in the suo motu case regarding non-implementation of NAP in the country.The government has assured the Supreme Court that all federal and provincial intelligence agencies have been asked to keep a proactive watch on the funding of proscribed organisations and welfare institutions.The report states the Counterterrorism Department (CTD) is monitoring proscribed organisations and hardcore elements, including those coming under the fourth schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 1997, and their facilitators.Cases have been registered against many banned outfits on account of illegally collecting funds. The suspects involved have been arrested and investigation is under way. Receipt books and militant literature have also been seized. The report claims that the CTD has arrested a gang of 12 people who were collecting funds for Jaish-e- Muhammad.Since January 1, 48 cases have been registered on account of terrorism financing and 73 accused have been arrested. Courts have announced convictions in four cases while trials are underway in 28 more cases. For the regulation of 13,782 seminaries in the province, the government has proposed their registration under a uniform legal framework that may be in line with the Punjab Private Education Institutions Ordinance, 1984. The report admits the presence of 6,479 unregistered seminaries in Punjab.Cases have been registered against banned organisations, but thus far there are only 28 cases actually going through the courts. There have been 148 cases registered related to the financing of terrorism. Whilst we have a degree of sympathy for overstretched and inefficient police departments having difficulty with the enormity of the task they face, more ought to have been achieved sooner. A lot sooner. This is not the policing equivalent of rocket science, and the majority of persons and organisations of interest are hiding in plain sight. A little more concerted action and a little less of the smoke-and-mirrors reporting and we will all sleep a lot easier in our beds.
pk.shafaqna.com
