Nawaz Sharif for creating new anti-terror force in Pakistani Punjab

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today lifted a ban on recruitment in all law enforcement agencies and ordered the creation of a new counter-terrorism force in Punjab province.

Sharif issued the directives while chairing a meeting to frame measures to counter terrorism in the country. He said he wanted recruitment to start in all law enforcement agencies within 10 days.

The premier expressed his reservations about the capacity of law enforcing agencies, and said the level of training of personnel of anti-terrorism forces should be at par with that of the Pakistan Army.

The new anti-terrorism force should be created at the earliest in order to speed up action against terrorists, he said.

Sharif further directed the Punjab government to come up with a comprehensive plan to overcome terrorism.

He also asked all agencies to coordinate their activities to overcome terrorism. Sharif said the federal government will provide all possible support to the provinces to curb terrorism.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif' federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Power Minister Khwaja Asif also attended the meeting.

The PML-N government, which came to power in June, is grappling with a Taliban insurgency and several other militant groups.

Since Sharif became the premier, the Taliban carried out a daring jailbreak in Dera Ismail Khan that freed nearly 250 prisoners while 10 foreign climbers were gunned down at a mountaineering camp in northern Pakistan.