Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said if immediate steps were not taken, the whole country would be burning in the fire ignited by the terrorists. He also called into question the disbursement of Rs417 billion security funding to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government after fresh wave of terror in the province, reported 24News HD TV channel on Wednesday.
He stated this while chairing the Federal Cabinet meeting in Islamabad on Wednesday. He paid rich tribute to brave people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for bearing the brunt of terrorism.
Prime Minister Shehbaz raised serious concern over the resurfacing of terrorism in KP, saying that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) failed to maintain security despite the availability of special funds.
The prime minister said that the ulcer of terrorism was again spreading its tentacles in the country. He said former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had also fallen victim to terrorism. He expressed his concern how the KP province fell into the hands of terrorists. Who let them restart their activities, he asked.
“These invaluable sacrifices cannot be forgotten,” he said, adding, it was painful that even minor children were among the dead in the recent suicide blast at a Peshawar mosque.
He said the courage exhibited by KP people could not be described in words.
He said sacrifices of KP people were unforgettable and history will always remember them. He raised question that where the previous government spent Rs417 billion given by the federal government to the province since 2010. The PTI ruled the province for 10 years, where all this amount was spent, only God knows better.
“Where this money was spent despite the establishment of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD),” he questioned.
He said the nation wanted the ruling KP government to be held accountable for the rise of terrorism in the province.
“Who regarded the terrorist as ‘Jihadi’ and let them return,” he said, pointing out the lenient approach that led to the re-emergence of terrorism in the province.
The prime minister warned that if urgent measures were not taken to control terrorism, it could spread to the rest of the country.
He vowed to “unitedly” fight the scourge and ensure peace in the country.
He also put aside the routine agenda of the cabinet to solely discuss the issue of terrorism, saying that an in-camera session could be held for further deliberations.
Taking to his Twitter handle, Prime Minister Shehbaz wrote: “The discussion and analysis of the recent tragic events of terrorism was the main agenda of today's cabinet meeting, and I wanted to share my opening remarks and the questions under consideration in this regard with each and every one of my fellow Pakistanis.”