Pakistan's top defence body has decided to make
coordinated efforts to prevent and preempt acts of terrorism in view of
the Taliban attack on the country's major naval air base in Karachi,
officials said Thursday.
The Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) met under the
chairmanship of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani Wednesday night
and decided that security, defence and law enforcement agencies will be
authorized to use all means necessary to eliminate terrorists and
militants.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers, chairman of Joint
Chiefs of Staff Committee, services chiefs and spy agency chief, said a
statement from the prime minister office.
The DCC reviewed the security situation arising from terrorist attacks and issues relating to regional security and stability.
The chief of naval staff and the secretaries of defense, interior
and foreign affairs briefed the DCC on the terrorist attack on the
Pakistan Naval Station (PNS) Mehran, internal security and regional
situation.
After in-depth discussions, it was decided that the national
consensus on eliminating terrorism will be implemented through a well
coordinated and comprehensive strategy with the full support of the
people and state institutions at all levels.
The DCC expressed full confidence in the ability and the capacity of
the armed forces and the law enforcement and intelligence agencies
against all threats to national security. It was decided that the DCC
will continue to meet regularly to further develop and update the
counter-terrorism strategy, and to closely monitor the implementation
of the strategy.
All citizens should extend their full cooperation with security and
law enforcement agencies as well as defence forces to eliminate the
menace of terrorism, said the statement.
National security is the foremost priority and all arms of the
government will ensure that terrorists hideouts are being destroyed
using all appropriate means, it said. Xinhua
