- Nation committed to crushing militants “once and for all”: prime minister.
- The Defense Minister warns that leniency towards terrorists is not acceptable.
- Khawaja Asif proposes a visit by the delegation to Kabul in two days.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday reaffirmed the government’s determination to eliminate the scourge of terrorism from the country and said the time has come to take “decisive measures” against militants.
The prime minister’s comments came a day after two army officers among 11 security personnel embraced martyrdom during an intelligence-based operation against Indian-backed terrorists in Orakzai district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said, “The blood of martyrs has drawn a line – fight for Pakistan – and no one can erase it now. He said that federal and provincial governments, parliamentarians, civil servants and armed forces are working day and night. But all this effort will be in vain if we do not completely eliminate terrorism and crush its head as enough is enough.”
The prime minister said that martyrs are the crown jewels of honor and dignity of Pakistan. Their sacrifices must always be remembered, he added.
The prime minister warned that the nation would not forgive if decisive action against terrorism is not taken now.
He said the terrorists’ enablers were equally involved in their crimes, adding that the nation was united in its determination to eliminate the menace from the country once and for all.
Referring to his speech at the UN, the prime minister said he had highlighted Pakistan’s stance on Palestine. He said there must be a ceasefire in Gaza and that Palestinians must be granted their right to self-determination.
He expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump for his efforts to stop the war between Pakistan and India.
The Prime Minister reiterated that an independent Palestine was a key component of Pakistan’s foreign policy and no one should have any doubts about it.
He said his meeting with the US President in Washington, which was also attended by Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, covered detailed discussions on bilateral relations, trade and counterterrorism.
“Softness towards terrorists is not tolerable”
Addressing the National Assembly session, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif categorically stated that any leniency or softness towards terrorists is not tolerable.
He said a similar message will also be conveyed to Afghanistan. The defense tsar said: “One proposal is for a delegation to visit Kabul in two days for talks.” He added that the delegation should convey that issues related to cross-border terrorism have now become intolerable.
He affirmed that the fight against terrorism must be clear, without gray areas. He stressed the need to put aside political differences and stand united behind the armed forces, without ifs and buts, in the mission of eradicating terrorism from Pakistan.
Addressing the issue of terrorist attacks coming from Afghanistan, the Defense Minister urged the Afghan authorities to prevent the use of their soil for terrorist activities targeting Pakistan.
He further said that millions of Afghan refugees have been residing in Pakistan for decades, but their loyalties lie elsewhere. The minister noted that many Afghan refugees have become multimillionaires in the country, but some openly express hostility towards Pakistan.
