Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: PPP Senator Rehman Malik on Tuesday urged the government to convene an All Parties Conference (APC) to evolve a joint strategy against terrorism.

“The government should immediately call the APC against the recent wave of terrorism in the country. We will have to set our eyes on global politics to bring about an improvement in the situation in Pakistan. Security agencies, political parties, and people will have to work together on the same page to weed out terrorism. Elimination of terrorism from Afghanistan is must for the eradication of terrorism from Pakistan”, he asserted in an exclusive interview with the Daily Times.

“It is the responsibility of the Prime Minister to convene the APC in order to evolve a joint strategy and deal with terrorism. All the clauses of the National Action Plan (NAP) should be implemented forthwith”, he stressed. “Why have the madrassa reforms laid down in the NAP not been enforced so far?” The former Interior Minister said terrorists have no religion nor do they belong to any country; they only work on others’ agenda.

“Daesh road map is an open secret. What was done in Iraq, Syria and Europe is all before us. In order to weed out terrorism, the elimination of terrorism from Afghanistan first is must. Pakistan was left with no other option except to take action against terrorists in Afghanistan. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani should understand and laud the steps taken by Pakistan because terrorists are terrorists no matter whether they live in Afghanistan or in Pakistan. If Ashraf Ghani will play games together with India, then all of Afghanistan will be affected by it and the peace of the entire region will be put at stake.”

He further added, “If Afghanistan takes any action on the operation being conducted by Pakistan against terrorists in Afghan territory, then our armed forces are capable of giving a befitting reply”. Malik believes Afghanistan should understand that Pakistan will not tolerate terrorism anymore.

He also believes only the government can comment on the causes behind the arrest of Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed. “Hafiz Saeed was detained on my orders when I was Interior Minister following the Bombay attack to prevent any difficulty in investigating the Bombay attacks. The Supreme Court imposed a fine amounting to Rs 15000 on the Interior Ministry for detaining Hafiz Saeed without reason. “Saeed was blacklisted by the UN at that time, had Pakistan not taken action against him then our country could also have been blacklisted.” Malik states, “I had informed the government a week before about the recent wave of terrorism and that terrorists are resurfacing and regrouping, but the government did not take any steps,” he held.