No radical shift in Nawaz Sharif govt`s new anti-terror strategy

Islamabad: The newly elected Nawaz Sharif government`s yet to be unveiled counter-terrorism policy will renew commitment to fight terror.

The policy, however, contains no radical shift in the strategy for dealing with the problem, but just acknowledges that `enabling environment` existed in the country for growth of extremism and terrorism. The draft policy titled National Counter-Terrorism and Extremism Policy would have five elements, dismantle, contain, prevent, educate and reintegrate, for curbing terrorism. According to Dawn News, the proposed strategy advises the government to use imprisoned terrorists and former militants for opening dialogue with terrorist groups, which may be ready to renounce violence. The draft policy said the PML-N government will move from the `mono-faceted approach` that relied exclusively on the use of force, to a more comprehensive strategy, which would deal with the issue from different angles, the report said. Sharif is expected to share the blueprint of the strategy with national leaders at an all parties conference (APC) on July 12. The draft also explains the reasons behind the rise of militancy in the country, blaming the United States for sowing the seeds of `jihadi networks` during the CIA war against communism in the `80s, the report added. ANI