RAWALPINDI: President Pervez Musharraf and Caretaker Prime Minister Muhammadmian Soomro, taking strong exception to the ongoing spiral of violence in the guise of protests, on Saturday directed the authorities to deal with the miscreants firmly and take action under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The president, who co-chaired a meeting with the caretaker prime minister, reviewed the law and order situation in the country.
The meeting held at the President’s Camp Office was attended by the Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, heads of security agencies and other concerned officials, including Minister for Information Nisar A Memon and Minister for Interior Hamid Nawaz Khan.
The president said the sympathies of the entire nation were with the bereaved family and the leadership and workers of the Pakistan People’s Party in their hour of grief.
He said while the entire nation was mourning the tragic death of Benazir, miscreants and anti-social elements could not be allowed to damage the life and property of the common man in the guise of protests.
President Musharraf said the elements who wished to exploit the situation by looting and plundering must be dealt with firmly and all measures be taken to ensure safety and security of people.
He particularly mentioned the problems being faced by the people as chemists, bakeries, grocery stores and petrol and CNG pumps had been closed due to the fear of hooligans and looters.
The president directed the law-enforcement agencies to ensure early return to normalcy so that the suffering of the common man could be addressed.
He said burning and looting of property and businesses of the common man would render many jobless and create serious problems for their families. It could not be allowed, he added.
The participants were briefed about the prevailing law and order situation in all the provinces, particularly in Sindh, where the Army had been called.
The meeting was also given an update on the pace of investigation into the terrorist attack on Benazir Bhutto.
Following the meeting, the caretaker prime minister directed the interior minister and the chief ministers to deal with the hooligans strictly and to take action, wherever warranted, under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
He said some “rogue elements” were exploiting the situation and taking the law into their own hands by damaging public and private properties by indulging in arson, looting and ransacking.
The prime minister directed the law-enforcement agencies to deal with such elements with an iron hand to restore peace in the country.
He directed the chief ministers to personally monitor the situation and ensure there was no leniency for elements who were out to disturb peace.
The caretaker prime minister also directed the authorities to identify the miscreants and take necessary action against them.
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