Pakistani PM approves re-invigorated national counter-terrorism campaign

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved a re-invigorated and re-energised national counter-terrorism campaign.

Sharif made the decision while chairing a meeting of the Central Apex Committee on National Action Plan, which decided that operation “Azm-e-Istehkam” (resolve to stability) would integrate multiple lines of efforts to combat the menaces of extremism and terrorism comprehensively and decisively, the Prime Minister’s office said on Saturday in a statement.

In the political-diplomatic domain, efforts will be intensified to curtail the operational space for terrorists through regional cooperation, the statement said.

The campaign will be complemented by socio-economic measures aimed at addressing genuine concerns of the people and creating an environment that discourages extremist tendencies, it said.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in attacks in the past year, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.