LA HOR E: Speakers at a forum on implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) on Friday expressed satisfaction over anti-terrorism plan and stressed the need for taking all the stakeholders, especially people, on board to permanently eradicate terrorism.

The forum was arranged by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (Pildat) at a local hotel on Friday. Speakers included former interior minister retired Lt Gen Moinuddin Haider, MPAs Azma Bukhari, Wahid Gull, Waqas Mokal and Dr Murad Ras, teaching fellow Lahore University of Management Sciences Marva Khan, journalists Mujibur Rehman Shami, Hafeezullah Niazi and Pildat President Ahmed Bilal Mehboob.

Mr Haider said the people would notlook towards the army if the civilian governments delivered, gave justice to the masses and eliminated corruption. Losing confidence in NAP, the election commission and courts would be dangerous for the country, he added.

He disagreed with retired Gen Pervez Musharraf and some other former army generals who were not accepting the supremacy of the Constitution.

`This is wrong. I firmly believe that the Constitution is a sacred document and should be respected,` he said, adding the army considered strong democracy a must for the better future of the country.

The former minister said terrorism had been greatly controlled in the country under the NAP but it required a long struggle to eliminate the threat.

`Terrorism, which spread like a cancer in the country in three decades, cannot be uprooted in a couple of years. There hasbeen success in war against terror. But Pakistan was stuck in the mire (of hostility). It still requires a lot to root out terrorism.

Mr Haider referred to different areas which needed to be looked into for plugging the loopholes in the fight against terrorism, saying there was need to keep an eye on the militant outfits working under changed names and to remain alert to any security threats by India and its regional allies and resurgence of the militant Islamic State group. The criminal justice system should be improved as a country with a flawed criminal justice system could not progress or even stay put, he warned.

The former general said there was need to build a strong, ef ficient and strong police force to fight terrorism without seeking the help of the army or the Rangers.

Marva Khan said army, politicians and people were differently interpreting NAP.A healthy dialogue on the issue could remove differences among the institutions and involve the ignored people in the process.

Ms Khan added that Pakistan was being governed by colonial laws which had been amended without revamp of the entire criminal justice system.

`Laws made under NAP had further snatched rights. The state of affairs could not be improved without the right to disagree. Fight against terrorism was the issue of everyone; therefore, everyone should be allowed to take part in it,` she noted.

Mr Shami highlighted NAP`s importance as a consensus document made by the civil-military leadership while expressing his dismay at the lack of progress on criminal justice reforms. He said the political leaders who had framed NAP should be blamed for not educating their party members and people on it.