Nation's resolve to eliminate terrorism cannot be deterred, says Nawaz

Pakistan, India should not hatch conspiracies against each other, premier says during media talk in Ankara

ANKARA: Hours after the Lahore attack which killed at least eight people, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said terrorist attacks cannot deter the nation's resolve against to eliminate terrorism.

The premier, who is in Turkey on a three-day official visit, was given a warm welcome by the Turkish government at the Cankaya Palace on Thursday.

Talking to media after visiting Turkish parliament, Nawaz said the continuing operations against terrorism had broken the backbone of terrorists. "War against terrorism will continue till elimination of the last terrorist," he added.

PM's statement after visiting the damaged part of parliament in the 15th July 2016 failed military coup. pic.twitter.com/wamnuusJdY

— PMLN (@pmln_org) February 23, 2017

Pakistan's enemies, he said, were looking for soft targets as they could not see the country develop and prosper. Their efforts are aimed at sabotaging this development process but they will not succeed, he maintained.

Responding to a question on Rangers' deployment in Punjab, Nawaz said the decision to call them and initiate of operation Radd-ul-Fasaad was taken at the PM's House.

The premier made it clear that Pakistan did not want Afghanistan's soil to be used against it, saying peace and stability in the latter was vital for the entire region.



The prime minister went on to add that Pakistan and India should not hatch conspiracies against each other, saying the country wants peaceful relations with its neighbours.

Earlier, a red carpet was rolled out for the premier when he arrived at the palace to meet his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildrim.

Both the leaders greeted each other warmly before the national anthems of the two countries were played.

PHOTO: PID

During the first day of his visit, PM Nawaz also visited the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and paid homage to the first Turkish president.

Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastagir and PM’s Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi are accompanying the premier on his tour.