President Mamnoon Hussain has said that the scourge of terrorism is taking its last breath owing to effective actions by the state against terrorists, and added that Wednesday’s tragic incident in Karachi showed desperation of terrorists.
He stated this while addressing visiting delegates of the National Defence University (NDU) workshop on National Harmony at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Thursday.
The president said that Pakistan is facing the challenges of terrorism and extremism and noted that Wednesday’s cowardly terrorist act was an attempt by anti-state elements to create fissures and despondency in the society.
He said that the Armed Forces of Pakistan have achieved commendable successes against terrorists and hoped that terrorism and extremism will be soon cleansed from the country.
Mamnoon Hussain observed that for over a decade Pakistan faced severe waves of militancy and extremism but the country and the nation not only bravely stood up to terrorists but also took successful actions against the enemies of the state due to which the menace of terrorism is now taking its last breath. He emphasised that Operation Zarb-e-Azb will continue until the elimination of every terrorist.
He underlined the need to promote national harmony and called upon educational institutions across the country to play their due role in promoting harmony. He observed that a nation could progress only through unity and solidarity and called for turning such challenges into opportunities.
He said that process is underway to bring the divided strata of society into the national mainstream for which efforts are being made to address the grievances of people from Tribal Areas and Balochistan. He hoped that there would be a new era of national harmony in the country in the coming years. The president observed that holding workshops like the one by NDU also plays a role in enabling the creation of an environment of political maturity, fraternity and harmony in the country.
The president said that corruption has badly damaged the country emphasised that individuals of the society should play their part in eliminating this curse. He also emphasised that there should be a social boycott of corrupt elements to eradicate corruption. The president stressed that a concerted struggle must be waged for the elimination of corruption, and to set up a better example for future generations.