ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said the nation was united in its resolve to eradicate terrorism from the country and the government and the armed forces will take all measures to crush violence perpetrated from across the border.
In his opening remarks during the federal cabinet meeting, the prime minister gave details of the recent incidents during which army officers and jawans embraced martyrdom while conducting operations against terrorists of Fitna al-Khawarij.
The prime minister said he along with Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, high ranking military officers and jawans on Wednesday attended the funeral prayers of Lieutenant Colonel Junaid Tariq and Major Tayyab Rahat.
They were among the eleven army men who embraced martyrdom in Orakzai while fighting against terrorists of Fitna al-Khawarij, he added.
He said Lt Colonel Junaid wrote a new chapter of bravery as during the operation led by him 19 terrorists of Fitna al-Khawarij were eliminated.
“During another operation against Fitna Al-Khawarij, Major Sibtain Haider embraced martyrdom,” he said, adding he talked to the parents and family members of the martyrs who said their sons gave their lives for the country and gained martyrdom.
He said brave officers and jawans of the army were laying down their lives for the country during their operations against Fitna Al-Khawarij every day.
The martyrs were leaving behind their children as orphans while saving the future generations of the country, he remarked.
He said facilitators were protecting the terrorists who were coming from across the border.
He stressed that the situation had reached a critical point and the terrorists will not be spared. The martyrs drew a line with their blood while defending their country and this line could not be violated, he continued.
“The sacrifices of the martyrs will be remembered forever,” he remarked.
Also, during his National Assembly briefing on the Orakzai strike, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that the state will strike terrorists and their backers in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and take responsibility for any collateral damage.
The minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to defend its territory and defeat terrorism through unity and determination.
He said that the issue of terrorism required a united approach beyond political or regional divisions. “Our political matters — whether related to Karachi, Sialkot, or Peshawar — can wait for another day. Today, our focus should be on how to eliminate this menace of terrorism once and for all,” he added.
Recalling his visit to Afghanistan three years ago, Asif said he had raised the issue of cross-border terrorism directly with Afghan authorities. “We candidly told them that their soil was being used for terrorist activities in Pakistan,” he said.
The minister said Pakistan had urged Afghanistan to control those terrorists and dismantle their sanctuaries. “We asked them to shut down the safe havens and stop providing shelter or support to these groups,” he said.
He added that Afghan officials had demanded financial assistance, claiming that with such aid, they could relocate the groups to western provinces away from Pakistan’s border.
However, Asif said Pakistan had sought a firm guarantee that the terrorists would not returna condition the Afghan authorities were unwilling to accept. “Due to the absence of that assurance, the proposal could not be finalised,” he said.
Asif also proposed urgent diplomatic action to curb cross-border terrorism, suggesting that a delegation be sent to Kabul within the next day or two to press Afghan authorities to dismantle safe havens being used against Pakistan.
Asif said that political and ideological differences should be set aside when it comes to national security.
SOEs
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the authorities concerned to secure the best possible deal for the state-owned enterprises proposed for privatisation, warning against any red tape or delay in the process.
The prime minister, chairing a review meeting on privatisation of SOEs, said that the process should prioritize national interest.
He directed to engage globally renowned experts in the process and called for a comprehensive strategy to take urgent measures for the capacity building of SOEs.
Warning against any institutional and administrative delays or red tape in the privatization process, Prime Minister Shehbaz said that he would personally monitor the privatisation process, with regular meetings to be held to review its progress.
At the meeting, the Prime Minister was briefed on the progress of privatizing 15 out of 24 SOEs.
The prime minister directed that the privatization of loss-making and inefficient state-owned enterprises, putting burden on the national exchequer, should be completed as soon as possible while avoiding administrative and institutional complexities.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers Ahad Khan Cheema and Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kiyani, and other relevant government officials.
