Surrender not an option: Kakar

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Wednesday categorically said that Pakistan would never surrender to radicalisation, extremism, and intolerance but would rather fight without falling prey to war fatigue.

“Those who think we will fall prey to war fatigue should clear their misunderstanding. This war is not fought by individuals… This war is fought by nation… Surrendering is not an option. We will fight no matter what,” he said whuile addressing a news conference during his visit.

Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi and Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori accompanied the prime minister.

Referring to the martyrdom of soldiers in South Waziristan on Tuesday, he said that Pakistan was not a power that would return 5,000 kilometres away from here.

“This is our home. We are here. We will run our home in our own way,” he said.

The prime minister said those who were trying to undermine the morale of the Pakistani nation should clear their misunderstanding as Pakistan would never forget the sacrifices of its martyrs.

He said Pakistan was not fighting this war on alms but rather spending its own taxpayers’ money.

He said the Pakistani soldiers were not rendering sacrifices in return for salaries.

“Their service is not in return for salaries, rather respect and dignity is their salary. Salary is just meant to suffice their needs. The nation pays them in the form of respect,” he remarked.

Kakar said that those who were trying to create chaos in the name of religion were actually miscalculating and misreading. “This is a clear message. They can fight for a limited time, but not for long. They are miscalculating and misreading whom they are faced with. We are not afraid of suicide attackers,” he said.

Referring to the rescue operation of eight trapped passengers of a cable car in Battagram, the prime minister said the country’s infrastructure was becoming a threat to human lives.

“We were overwhelmingly over the moon as we heard about the rescue of the last kid… We will celebrate it as it gave us an opportunity to unify us,” he commented, appreciating the rescuers for the way they rescued the kids and children for the way they controlled their nerves in a heroic way.

He said the defence institutions did not only face challenges on external fronts but also took a leading role in crisis management. He also asked the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and other relevant departments to improve their performance.