Terrorism simmering in region due to Indian atrocities: Murad
RECORDER REPORT
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that terrorism will end after restoration of peace in the entire region on the eastern and western fronts; otherwise, it will be simmering.
He said this, talking to a an American delegation led by US Consul General Robert Silberstein and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic Policy Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes. Other US official who attended the meeting included Michelle Crockett, Grant Vickers, David Galbraith, Neil Phillips, Chad Mineer, Sanam Noor and Umair Mumtaz. Sindh Home Secretary Kazi Kabir, additional IG CTD and DIG Abdullah Shaikh also attended the meeting.
The chief minister said that terrorism was simmering in the region because of Indian atrocities in held-Kashmir and against Muslims within its state. "This must be stopped in the larger interest of peace in the entire region," he underlined.
Shah said that in Afghanistan, its government had a very limited control and writ within the state; therefore, conspiracies for terrorist activities were hatched there and then exported to Pakistan. He said the provincial government was fighting against terrorism for last so many years and now we have controlled it considerably.
On terrorism financing, the chief minister said that a close coordination between the provincial and federal government agencies had been developed. He said that 19 cases were detected and five of them had been convicted.
"Our provincial government has established a dedicated unit in Home Department which deals with terrorism financing matters," he shared with the US delegation, adding that the charity and donation matters were being regulated under charity related laws/regulations.
He said that donations or charity to any organisation, including NGOs/ NPOs was being monitored through banking system and an eagle eye has been put on their utilisation. "We have almost plugged this loophole through effective laws and constant monitoring," he said.
The chief minister said that CTD of Sindh police had arrested around 500 terrorists during last three hours and of them a large number of terrorists had been convicted.
The US delegation appreciated Sindh government's efforts and assured technical and other support against terrorism financing activities. With the CM, they discussed a systematic mechanism of intelligence work, monitoring and choking the financing system.
Murad Shah said that a complete ban on collection of hides of sacrificial animals by banned outfits. He said that under the new arrangement, the hides are allowed to those organisations certified by the concerned deputy commissioners and after that utilisation of funds generated through hides are also audited.
He said that a comprehensive and vigorous operation has been launched against drug dealers and peddlers.
"We are very much active to stop terrorism financing through coercive, targeted and focused measures and strategy," said the chief minister.
