Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Tuesday rooting out terrorism and extremism was the first priority of the federal government and directed the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) to arrest the perpetrators of the recent bombing targeting the Shia Hazara community to set an example.
The premier was on a visit to Quetta two days after a deadly suicide bombing in Hazara Town which claimed 30 lives. He was accompanied by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai, DG ISI Lt-Gen Zaheerul Islam, the DG Intelligence Bureau (IB) and other top officials.
Speaking to reporters after chairing a high-level meeting, Prime Minister Sharif said he had come to visit Quetta to review the law and order situation, adding that effective measures were needed to restore traditional peace of Balochistan.
Nawaz also met with a tribal delegation of the ethnic Hazara community, which also included the relatives and heirs of the victims of the recent bombing in Quetta. He assured the provision of every possible security measures for the Hazara community.
The prime minister said that every person involved in terrorist activities would be held accountable, adding that he had instructed all security institutions to deal with the criminals with iron hands.
Nawaz also said that all decisions would be implemented upon and that the issue of targeted killings and missing persons in Balochistan would be accounted for.
He strongly condemned attack on the bus of a women’s university and said if law enforcement personnel worked with the same dedication then peace would be restored in Quetta.
“I have directed the ISI and IB to arrest the culprits involved in recent bombings to make it as a test case,” he said, adding that eliminating terrorism was the first priority of his government.
WILL REACH OUT TO ALL
Nawaz further said that the government would approach all political leaders to develop consensus and evolve a joint strategy to root out the curse of terrorism. He also directed all law enforcement agencies to cooperate with provincial government and to increase intelligence-sharing. “Bringing peace in Quetta is not a big deal since it is a small city,” he added.
Strict security measures were adopted by the provincial administration for the premier’s visit, and Frontier Corps (FC) and police personnel were deployed on all roads leading to the Governor House.