ANP calls for all-out war against terrorists

NOWSHERA: Condemning the suicide attack on the office of the National Database Regulation Authority (NADRA) in Mardan, Awami National Party (ANP) general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain on Tuesday called for implementing the National Action Plan (NAP) in letter and spirit to eliminate terrorism.

Talking to reporters here, he expressed sympathies with the families of those killed and wounded in the suicide attack. He said halfhearted action against terrorists would not help restore lasting peace and root out militancy. He said with this attack the militants had tried to give the message that they were still active and had the ability to hit targets.

Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that though the ongoing operations reduced the militants’ ability of staging acts of sabotage, a lot more was needed to be done.“A decisive action is the need of the time to eliminate the menace once and for all,” he added.He urged the government to launch a full-fledged action under the NAP in the Punjab province against the banned outfits to stamp out militancy and eliminate its breeding grounds.

The ANP leader welcomed the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Pakistan and Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif Afghanistan visits, saying the high-level interactions would help resolve stumbling issues between the neighbouring countries. He said the federal and Sindh government should sit together and remove the mistrust and address each other’s reservations over the issue of Rangers’ powers.