News
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Malik asks Taliban to stop playing into hands of enemy
* Minister advises terrorists to furnish their children with pens and books, instead of preparing them for suicide attacks
MIRPUR (AJK): Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Saturday advised the Taliban to furnish children with pens and books, instead of preparing them for suicide attacks.
He asked them to surrender by disarming themselves and to refrain from playing into the hands of the enemy. He said the government took different steps to check extremism and terrorism in the country.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the passport office in Islamgarh, a town of Mirpur district, he said, “We want the youth of Pakistan to carry books and pens instead of suicide jackets.” Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed and others also addressed the ceremony.
The interior minister said suicide incidents had reduced considerably and law and order had improved to a great extent.
The minister said that following the reconciliation policy of President Asif Ali Zardari, the country succeeded in achieving speedy progress, stability and prosperity.
Rehman Malik recalled that the country was on the verge of destruction when the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) came into power. The law and order situation was worsening and the economy was in bad shape, he added.
He said the PPP government focused on improving the law and order situation, adding that after relentless efforts by law enforcing agencies, terrorism was brought under control, he added. The minister said that efforts were being made to eliminate extremism and terrorism not only from the country, but the region as well.
He reiterated the present government’s resolve to consult all political parties while dealing with major national issues for national interest.
He said that those talking of staging ‘long-march or short march’ would be able to evaluate their position in March 2012, adding that the nation and the country could prosper only if unity and harmony was ensured in the society.
He said under the dynamic leadership of Zardari, the PPP-led government was fighting a war for the defence and security of the country.
The interior minister claimed that the government was determined to steer the country out of energy crisis.
Expressing solidarity with the people of AJK on behalf of the people and the government of Pakistan, Rehman Malik asserted that Pakistan would continue to extend moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris struggle for their self-determination.
He said PPP had unequivocal commitment to the people of AJK. He pointed out that it could be assessed by the fact that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani reiterated Pakistan’s just and principled stance on Kashmir before his Indian counterpart Manmohen Singh and the media during his recent visit to Maldives at the sideline of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit. Earlier, the minister inaugurated the passport office at Islamgarh, the constituency of Chaudhry Abdul Majeed. The office aims to benefit thousands of UK-based Kashmiri expatriates, hailing from Islamgarh and the rest of the adjoining areas. appCourtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk