Rejuvenation of the Government’s commitment to root out terrorism

 

Suicide bombers caused catastrophe at shrine of Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. It was the fiercest attack in Pakistan during last two and half years which killed at least 90 people including women and children. More than three hundreds received multiple injuries as they performed a ritual at the shrine in Sehwan in Sindh province.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group claimed responsibility for the blast via its Amaq propaganda website.

The shrine, built in 1356, is by the tomb of Syed Muhammad Usman Marwandi, the Sufi saint known as Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, one of Pakistan’s most venerated saints. Each year, hundreds of thousands gather to celebrate the “Urs”, his death anniversary.

In November, at least 52 people were killed in a suicide attack on a shrine to Sufi Saint Shah Noorani in Balochistan province, in an attack claimed by ISIL.

Suicide attack at Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar was followed by suicide attack in the heart of provincial capital city of Lahore which killed 13 people at a rally in the eastern city of Lahore.

Where the new series of terrorism jolted Pakistan, a country of almost 200 million people, there it brought both civilian and military leadership on the same page when it comes to battling militancy and extremism in Pakistan. It ultimately resulted in kicking of a comprehensive army operation against militants/sleeping cells across Pakistan including Punjab.

Utterly alarmed by the recent wave of terrorism which claimed over  ninety innocent lives and wounded more than three hundred people Pakistan army launched ‘Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad’ across the country on February 22, 2017, Inter-Services Public Relations, the army’s media wing, said in a statement.

Radd-ul-Fasaad — which translates roughly to ‘elimination of discord’ — will aim at indiscriminately eliminating the “residual/latent threat of terrorism”, consolidating the gains made in other military operations, and further ensuring the security of Pakistan’s borders, read the statement.

Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Civil Armed Forces (CAF) and other security and law enforcing agencies (LEAs) will actively participate in and ‘intimately support’ the armed forces’ efforts to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country, the statement added.

Articulating the government’s determination to wipe out terrorists and extremists from the country, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told local and International press during his visit to Ankara, Turkey that the decisions to launch countrywide military operation “Radd- ul-Fasaad” and deployment of Rangers in the Punjab were taken at the Prime Minister House.

Condemning the Lahore blast while talking to the media, Nawaz said the government was determination to eliminate terrorism from the county root and branch. The Prime Minister welcomed the launch “Radd-ul-Fasaad”.

The Punjab government later endorsed the decision about deployment of Rangers in the province in a high level meeting.  Nawaz announced that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) cricket final and summit of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) would take place according to the schedule.

He said work on development and progress of the county would continue undeterred.  The holding of the ECO summit in Pakistan is another success of the country and the confidence of the world. Ten leaders of Central Asian states turned up for the historic summit.

“The cowardly attacks cannot shake the national resolve against terrorists. The government took the decision two and a half years ago to take on terrorism and extremism after due deliberations that has broken their backbone. The recent wave of terror is their remnants handiwork to attract the attention. The war against terrorism would continue till elimination of last terrorist from the face of country’s soil.”

It is a fact that recent wave of terrorism which hit hard in month of February this year has shown that enemies of Pakistan could not digest the unprecedented development in the country and for the reason they were targeting soft targets.

He said the fate changer China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was proving a great success. Power generation plants have started production and economy is showing impressive results. The stock exchange is reaching new heights and the enemies of Pakistan couldn’t swallow the progress.

“The enemies want to subvert development in the country but they will not succeed in their nefarious designs.”  Nawaz endorsed the idea of regional solution to Afghan imbroglio as he had proposed to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sometimes back.

“Pakistan had been striving for stability in Afghanistan since it believes and wants peace and stability in Afghanistan that is vital for the progress and prosperity for the entire region. The stability and peace of the two countries are interlinked.”

Pakistan’s intelligence agencies are in possession of strong proofs that neighboring countries were involved in sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan. For example Pakistan’s law enforcement agencies captured Indian spy Kulbhushan Yadev in March 2016.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also didn’t rule out involvement of external hand in terror activities in Pakistan. To a query, he recalled that he had not made India bashing part of his election campaign unlike India where Pakistan bashing was made by some parties in electoral campaign.  He pleaded for having trade with India.

“Pakistan wishes to live like a good neighbor. It is not a bad idea and I still believe in it. The people of Pakistan gave me mandate and I desire peaceful relations with all neighbors, including India. We should not even think that Pakistan and India can hatch conspiracies against each other” said the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister made it loud and clear that Afghan soil should not be used against Pakistan and the Afghan government should take necessary steps in this regard.  “Pakistan has complained to the Afghan government that its soil has been used for terrorism in Pakistan. I hope they would check it and take essential steps” said the Prime Minister.