Daily Times

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Information Pervaiz Rashid on Sunday said that Pakistan wanted to carry forward dialogue with India but Pathankot terrorist attack derailed the process.

“It was aimed at sabotaging the process to improve Pak-India relations. Such terrorist acts also affected the Kashmir cause as the government had always put that issue on top of its agenda during talks with India,” he said while talking to reporters at the residence of former Lahore Nazim Mian Amir Mehmood. The minister said that Pakistan was committed to root out terrorism for a peaceful world. “The operation Zarb-e-Azb was launched with the resolve to continue it till the elimination of the last bastion of terrorists in the country,” he said. The minister said the information collected by the intelligence agencies had helped eradicate the terrorist networks which had benefitted the country and the world. The intelligence agencies had in no time tracked down the facilitators who helped the attackers of the Bacha Khan University, he added.

To a question, Pervaiz Rashid said it was because of the good work done by the intelligence agencies that terrorists had been pushed to the wall with successful busting of their networks. That was why the terrorists were now hitting soft targets, he said. Terrorism could be rooted out by eliminating the facilitators along with ‘inside or outside elements’, the minister said. He said Pakistan will cooperate with other countries to control terrorism incidents and is ready to share its experiences with them for the benefit of the region. He said terrorists are not only enemy of Pakistan but also humanity. Replying to another query, Pervaiz Rashid said the operation in Karachi was launched to cleanse the city of criminals and anti-state elements. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had committed to nab all those elements who had destroyed the peace of the port city.

To another query, the minister said corruption was a social nuisance and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had taken action and instituted cases against the corrupt in all provinces without any discrimination.

Answering a question regarding differences with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the minister said the PPP and all other political parties were on the same page with the government on operation against terrorists in the country and efforts to improve law and order situation in Karachi.

About the detractors of Orange Line Train, Pervaiz Rashid said it was a public welfare project. It was an irony that the critics of motorway and metro bus service projects also used to do so, but later they demanded the same in other provinces as well, he said.

Replying to a question, the minister said protection of citizens is responsibility of the state and that security of educational institutions will be ensured.

He stated that arrest of Uzair Baloch is the reflection of commitment made by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to nab every criminal.