Differentiation between good and bad terrorists must stop: Mian Iftikhar

PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP)’s central General Secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain said here Saturday that restoration of peace would remain a distant dream unless the terror networks across the country, particularly in Punjab, were dismantled.

Talking to reporters at the Lady Reading Hospital after inquiring after the health of the tribesmen injured in the recent blast in North Waziristan, he said that terrorism could not be wiped out by conducting military operations in Fata alone.

“The state has to stop differentiation between good and bad and launch an effective operation against all the terror groups across the country,” the ANP leader said.He maintained that the state should launch operation against the 70 militant groups operating in Punjab as eliminating these groups would ensure lasting peace in Pakistan.

These groups are still collecting donations and operating by using different names, Mian Iftikhar alleged. He lamented that the state had failed to take action against these groups.He maintained that unabated terror incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had negative impact on the lives of the people. He demanded a targetted operation against these networks.

Mian Iftikhar argued that without targetting a specific mindset the terrorists producing factories would continue to play havoc with the lives of the people.He criticised the federal, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments for their compromising attitude on the implementation of the National Action Plan. “The lack of will power to eliminate terror networks has emboldened the terrorists who are targetting the innocent citizens at will,” he added.

The ANP leader asked the government to announce a special development package for the terrorism-hit tribal region. He also demanded a comprehensive compensation package for the victims of terrorism.