MPs seek ‘broader strategy’ to rein in terrorism

The Nation  |  Feb 02, 2023

Urge political, military leadership to sit together for consensus decision n Pm questions rs417 billion security funding for KP n says Pti in KP failed to maintain security despite availability of special funds n cabinet unanimously adopts resolution condemning Peshawar suicide attack; resolves to eradicate all forms of terrorism.

ISLAMABAD    -    Lawmakers in the National Assembly yesterday expressed concerns over the ‘outdated’ counter-terrorism strategy urging both the political and military leadership to sit together for taking a broad decision with consensus to effectively arrest the resurgence of terrorism.

The federal cabinet, which met here earlier in the day with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair, stressed the need for promoting national unity and solidarity, and raising cohesive voice by all the political forces of the country against terrorists.

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Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Mufti Abdul Shakoor said in the lower house of the parliament that there was a need to evolve a proper strategy other than a military operation to eliminate terrorism from the country.

He said that proper medical facilities should be provided to the injured of the blast.

Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Raja Riaz assured the Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies that the entire nation is standing behind them in the fight against terrorism.

The house resumed debate on the recent incidents of terrorism particularly in Peshawar. “There is a dire need of creating unity to defeat the menace of terrorism,” he said, commenting that we should come out of notion of ‘good or bad Taliban’,” he said and said this old theory has proved wrong.

He was of the view that the decision taken in the past for bringing elements from Afghanistan and letting them settle in Pakistan was totally wrong.

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“The policies in this direction has proved wrong,” he said, demanding that the government should provide proper medical facilities to the injured and a compensation package for the victims of the Peshawar Police Lines mosque bombing.

An independent lawmaker from South Waziristan stressed the need for the formation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to fix responsibility of the alleged wrongdoings committed in the past. Other lawmakers, taking part in the debate, urged the political and military leadership to sit together to take a decision with unity to deal with the menace of terrorism.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing the federal cabinet meeting, raised serious concern over the resurfacing of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

ing the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) did fail to maintain security despite availability of special funds.

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He said that the PTI was in rule for the last 10 years in the province and was responsible to ensure the safety of the lives of innocent people that suffered a new spate of terror incidents.

The prime minister mentioned that Rs 417 billion were provided to KP since the year 2010 under the National Finance Commission Award.

The funding was supposed to be used for the capacity-building of KP Police and security forces, he said.

“Where this money was spent despite the establishment of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD),” he questioned.

He said the nation wanted the ruling KP government to be held accountable for the rise of terrorism in the province.

“Who regarded the terrorist as ‘Jihadi’ and let them return,” he said, pointing out the lenient approach that led to the reemergence of terrorism in the province.

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Shehbaz Sharif lauded the courage and resilience of the people of KP for bearing the brunt of terrorism. He said several members of the political families in KP and also the former prime minister Benazir Bhutto lost their life in the wake of terrorist incidents.

“These invaluable sacrifices cannot be forgotten,” he said, adding it was painful that even minor children were among the dead in the recent suicide blast at a Peshawar mosque.

The prime minister warned that if urgent measures were not taken to control terrorism, it could spread to the rest of the country. He vowed to “unitedly” fight the scourge and ensure peace in the country.He also put aside the routine agenda of the Cabinet to solely discuss the issue of terrorism, saying that an in-camera session could be held for further deliberations.

The federal cabinet also unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the Peshawar suicide attack.

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It called upon all the political forces to shun their divisions and grievances, express unity for the interest of the country and its people, and unanimously converge on the agenda for elimination of terrorism, so that the national security, solidarity, peace and economy could be protected in an effective manner.

The cabinet also expressed condolences and sympathies with the bereaved families.

The cabinet also prayed for the high ranks of the martyrs and for their families to bear the losses with fortitude. It also prayed for the early recovery of the injured people.

The cabinet also made it clear that those could neither be the Muslims who targeted fellow Muslims at a place of worship nor deserved to be called human beings.

Under the teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah and the unanimous opinion of the learned religious scholars, derived from those teachings and declared in the ‘Paighame-Pakistan’ that such incidents were openly against the tenets of Islam and ‘Haram’, the cabinet expressed.

It also expressed the resolve to eradicate all forms of terrorism, and ensure the protection of the lives and properties of the public, and that the blood of the Pakistanis would be accounted for.

It was decided that the restructuring of the police force of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Counter-Terrorism Department would be carried out, besides the provision of quality training, and solid steps for the supply of the latest weapons and gadgets, so as to avert the occurrence of such incidents in the future.

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