Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has said that the government will not bow down to extremism, vowing to continue the fight against terrorism, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The premier who was flanked by Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori was addressing the media in Karachi on Wednesday.
“We will not bow down to extremism. Those who think that war has made us worn out, are mistaken. Surrender is not an option, we will continue our fight against terrorism. Individual alone does not fight war, nations fight wars. We have not forgotten the martyrs and their sacrifices. It is not permissible to take lives of innocent people,” the prime minister said.
He pointed out that Pakistan was spending its own money, collected through taxes, on the country’s law enforcement agencies. “We are not fighting on donations,” the premier said.
PM Kakar sent a clear message to those who are spreading violence: “We will keep fighting against the misguided.”
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PM Kakar said that Pakistan would never surrender to radicalization, extremism and intolerance but rather would fight without falling prey to war fatigue. “Those who think we will fall prey to war fatigue should clear their misunderstanding. This war is not fought by individuals… This war is fought by nation… Surrendering is not an option. We will fight no matter what,” he added.
Referring to the martyrdom of soldiers in South Waziristan on Tuesday, he said that Pakistan was not a power that will return 5,000 kilometers away from here. “This is our home. We are here. We will run our home in our own way,” he said.
The prime minister said those trying to undermine the morale of the Pakistani nation should clear their misunderstanding as Pakistan would never forget the sacrifices of its martyrs.
He said Pakistan was not fighting this war on alms but rather spending our own taxpayers’ money.
He said the Pakistani soldiers were not rendering sacrifices in return for the salaries. “Their service is not in return for salaries, rather respect and dignity is their salary. Salary is just meant to suffice their needs. The nation pays them in the form of respect,” he remarked.
Prime Minister Kakar said that those who were trying to create chaos in the name of religion were actually miscalculating and misreading.
“This is a clear message. They can fight for a limited time, but not for long. They are miscalculating and misreading whom they are faced with. We are not afraid of suicide attackers,” he said.
Referring to the rescue operation of trapped eight passengers of a cable car in Battagram, the prime minister said the country’s infrastructure was becoming a threat to human lives. “We were overwhelmingly over the moon as we heard the rescue of the last kid…
We will celebrate it as it gave us an opportunity to unify us,” he commented and appreciated the rescuers for the way they rescued the kids and children for the way they controlled their nerves in a heroic way.
He said the defense institutions did not only face challenges on external fronts but also take a lead role in crisis management.
He also asked the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and other relevant departments to improve their performance.
Address to industrialists
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has said that the interim setup’s top priority is the peaceful transfer of power. The caretaker premier expressed these remarks while addressing the business community in Karachi on Wednesday.
He said that the caretaker government is taking steps to hold transparent elections in the country. “We will continue fulfilling our constitutional responsibilities of taking care of the day-to-day affairs of the state till the installation of an elected government,” he added.
He said they are facing challenges of unemployment and food shortage. He expressed his optimism that Pakistan would soon put on the road to progress. He also stressed the role of the trading community in taking the country out of the economic morass.
PM Kakar said that Pakistan would default if they ignored the business community, assuring the traders that the government would solve their problems.
He instructed the relevant authorities to resolve the issues being faced by the traders.
He sought business people’s help in imparting technical education to youth. He was of the view that they have to make joint efforts for the progress of the country.
Kakar realized that the expensive energy is increasing the cost of production, confessing that industrial growth is impossible without cheap electricity. But at the same time, he said, Pakistan is facing energy shortage.
He said that Balochistan is rich in natural resources and precious minerals.
PM assures Sindh govt of all-out support
PM Kakar also met Interim Sindh Chief Minister Maqbool Baqir in Karachi and assured him of the federal government’s all-out support to run the province’s administrative affairs.
In the meeting, the interim Sindh chief minister apprised the prime minister of the administrative affairs of the province and the issues being faced by the caretaker government.
They reiterated their resolve to cooperate with the Election Commission of Pakistan for holding free and fair elections.