 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan government has decided to move swiftly against some 400 alleged leading activists of banned organizations in a fresh drive against extremism, news reports said on Sunday.
| Maybe they can do a full tribal lashkar. I do enjoy those drums. |
The decision to launch a crackdown came nearly ten days after a failed airline terrorism plot in Britain that found connection in Pakistan.
Top-ranking police and intelligence officials met in Islamabad on Saturday to draw up a new plan, following instructions by President Pervez Musharraf to move strongly against the “preachers of sectarian hatred and violence.”
| "And make sure we announce to the press well in advance." |
The meeting of the Inter-Provincial Coordination Committee (IPCC) decided to take action against some 400 activists of organizations Musharraf had banned in early 2002. “They would be proceeded against under the Anti-Terrorist Act and detained for a year,” English language daily ’The News’ reported. However, the cases of identified Islamic extremist activists would be reviewed every three months.
There had been similar crackdowns on extremist elements in the past but most of them were released after months of detention. The IPCC has also decided to seal printing presses involved in producing “hate material” and take action against prayer leaders who incite people to sectarian violence.
| That's going to work well. |
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