Enemies of Pakistan who cannot tolerate its development want to destabilise it, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Wednesday, and vowed to work towards ridding the country of terrorism.
Addressing the National Assembly after 74 people were killed in a deadly suicide bombing at a hospital in Quetta, Sharif said that all resources will be used to deal with the threat of militancy from the country. Sharif said army and intelligence agencies were working “day and night” to defeat militancy.
“We will move forward with full strength and completely eliminate terrorism from the country,” he said.
Read | Suicide bomber targets Quetta Civil Hospital, 63 killed, dozens injured
Sharif highlighted that those involved in the Quetta blast follow the same ideology which prompted them to target Benazir Bhutto, the Hazara community in Balochistan, a church and Army Public School Peshawar, and prominent people of the country.
“We will have to defeat this ideology because this ideology is the enemy of Pakistan,” he said.
He further said the enemies of Pakistan want to destabilise the country because they cannot digest development projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which will bring prosperity in the country.
Earlier in the day, Sharif chaired a meeting of army and civilian officials, including army chief General Raheel Sharif, to discuss the security situation after the Quetta bombing. He asked the officials to speed up operations against militants. He also promised to provide every kind of help to the provinces to deal with terrorism.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier in the day, Sharif chaired a meeting of army and civilian officials, including army chief General Raheel Sharif, to discuss the security situation after the Quetta bombing. He asked the officials to speed up operations against militants. He also promised to provide every kind of help to the provinces to deal with terrorism.
{{/usCountry}}At least 74 people were killed on Monday and over 100 injured after a suicide bomber struck the emergency ward of Quetta’s Civil Hospital, where scores of people had gathered to mourn the death of Balochistan Bar Association (BBA) president, Bilal Anwar Kasi, in a gun attack earlier in the day.
The attack was claimed by Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan splinter outfit, Jamaatul Ahrar, and the Islamic State militant group.
Read more | Quetta attack and Pakistan’s footsie with terror groups