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Friday March 29, 2024

Opposition must avoid politics on tragedy: Nisar

Says reaction to military operation may continue; terms Shikarpur a corridor for people coming from Afghanistan, Fata; holds provincial govt responsible for Shikarpur tragedy; says Centre assisting provinces against terrorism

By our correspondents
February 05, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said that there was bound to be a reaction to the military operation and the opposition should avoid politicking over a tragedy.
While rejecting criticism of the federal government over the Shikarpur incident, the interior minister maintained that the intelligence agencies, police and Rangers come under the jurisdiction of the chief minister, and his provincial government was responsible for the tragedy if there was any security lapse.
The interior minister, who along with the prime minister, came under sharp criticism from the opposition leader for not turning up in Shikarpur following the suicide attack, said the federal government was fully cooperating with the provincial governments and timely intelligence was being shared with them regarding any imminent terror threat.
Speaking on the Shikarpur incident, the interior minister also came down hard on the Opposition for pointing fingers at the federal government. “What kind of leaders are they who point fingers at each other following terrorist acts,” Nisar asked.
He rejected the criticism about the government’s failure to prevent the Shikarpur attack and said his ministry remained updated about all the developments taking place after the terror bid at a mosque in Shikarpur.
He added that Shikarpur had turned into a route for people coming from Afghanistan and Fata.Expressing surprise over criticism of the opposition ongovernment, he said the terrorists wanted to create split among the nation.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said there had been improvement in intelligence sharing on the basis of which 500 operations against terrorists were conducted.He said that on the basis of intelligence, a group of six terrorists who were planning to attack Hazara community was nabbed. “They have planted explosive material in a truck which was to be used in attack,” he said.
The minister said the military operation was continuing against the terrorists and they might resort to backlash. “Their targets are soft and easy but we are trying to strengthen our mechanism to foil their nefarious designs,” he said.
About Shikarpur incident, Chaudhry Nisar said a terrorist used five to nine kilograms of explosive material in the suicide attack which resulted into the loss of 62 precious lives and injured 53 others.
He said only one critically damaged finger of the terrorist had been found which is there with the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) for verification while the tailor who prepared shirt of the attacked had also been arrested.
He mentioned that there was a sectarian rife in Shikarpur but the area had also emerged as a hub for transportation of terrorists to other areas saying the security forces were keeping an eye on the area and enhanced its monitoring in the wake of Shikarpur tragedy.
He said the war against terrorism was not an easy one and it might require years to eliminate the menace. He vowed that the war against the coward elements would continue till the elimination of last terrorist. “The war against terrorism is not easy, it may take weeks, months or years,” Nisar said.
The minister pointed out that for the first time, a civilian government held peace dialogue with terrorists but in response, the terrorist acts continued. “The peace dialogue was in process but on the other hand, the terrorists attacked airports and carried out other activities,” he said.
He said the issues like terrorism would have to be addressed jointly by the federal and provincial government.He maintained that he never held a provincial government’s failure behind any act of terrorism handing the warning that the terrorists wanted to divide the nation. “I also differ with protest of few groups who staged strike against the provincial government,” he said saying the strike should have been staged against terrorists.