News
Monday, September 23, 2013
‘Terror incidents are not conducive to peace talk’
* Nawaz says government unable to move forward on what it had envisaged because of such incidents* President says fight against terrorism will continue undeterred
LONDON: Hours after the deadliest attack on Christian community in the country on Sunday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced that the government and nation were unable to proceed any further (on the proposed dialogue with the Taliban).
“We had proposed the process of dialogue with good intention and this enjoyed the backing of all the political parties,” Nawaz said while talking to the newsmen after arriving in London from Pakistan. He said incidents like the attack on a church in Peshawar are not a good omen for the intended dialogue. “These attackers are enemies of the country,” he said. The prime minister is on his way to the US to attend UN General Assembly session scheduled to be held on September 27.
Within hours of the attack, Nawaz toughened his stance considerably but fell short of calling for outright military action against the militants holed up in tribal areas on the Afghan border - an option supported by the army. “Such incidents are not conducive for peace talks,” Nawaz said in televised remarks. “Unfortunately, because of this, the government is unable to move forward on what it had envisaged, on what it had wished for.”
Earlier, Prime Minster Nawaz phoned Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Engr Shaukatullah and Chief Minister Parvez Khattak and expressed solidarity with them in the aftermath of the bomb blasts.
The prime minister said that he himself and the entire nation were shocked over the brutality of the terrorists. Nawaz also phoned Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan immediately after his arrival at the Heathrow Airport, London, and directed the minister to keep him abreast with the situation on a regular basis. The prime minister also directed the minister to devise a new security plan to protect the places of worship of all minorities, including churches.
Meanwhile, President Mamnoon Hussain also telephoned Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor and the chief minister and discussed with them the situation in the wake of the twin blasts at the church. The president directed the governor and the chief minister to ensure enhanced security measures in the province, especially at the religious places. He said those involved in this act of brutality should be brought to justice. He called for strict safety measures for the protection of innocent citizens regardless of which religion and community they belong to. President Mamnoon said the terrorists have no respect for any religion and said the country’s fight against militancy would continue undeterred. agencies
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk