ISLAMABAD: In order to deal with the menace of terrorism, the government has decided on a major policy shift under which attacks from militants would be met with an appropriate military response, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told the National Assembly on Wednesday.
Formally unveiling the document of the country’s national security policy in the House, Nisar said the direction was agreed upon unanimously, adding that the government had consulted with all political forces for its formation.
The minister said that Pakistan could not cope with the prevailing situation in the absence of the security policy.
He added that there was a lack of coordination among the security and intelligence agencies and they would be brought under one umbrella.
Khan said that besides reviving the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), a rapid response force would also be formed under the new security policy.
Khan said that the policy was prepared in six months and all the parties were asked to give their input but no political party except the MQM gave suggestions in this regard.
He said that the policy approved by the cabinet on Tuesday was being presented in the house to seek opinion of lawmakers.
Khan said that the government formed a committee to engage the Taliban militants in talks and kept informing all the leaders of the political parties about the situation.
He, however, made it clear that the government would not keep mum over militant attacks and terrorists’ headquarters would be attacked in retaliation to any terror attack inside the country.
The minister said that the talks and violence could not go along together, adding that the prime minister who was kept informed by the government committee, decided that the talks could no longer be continued.
He said that innocent people were killed in Kohat and other places during negotiations.
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