Shoulder to shoulder: War against terrorism has united nation says CM

LAHORE:

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that the entire nation was united in the war against terrorism. The chief minister said the scourge of terrorism would be exterminated soon and the country would become a haven of peace and stability. He was speaking to parliamentarians.

Sharif said the army was fighting against the enemies of peace for the integrity of Pakistan. He said Pakistanis were proud of the professionalism and fortitude of their armed forces which had got remarkable success against terrorists. Sharif said the nation stood by the armed forces.

He said the North Waziristan population had fled their homes ahead of the military operation against the terrorists. “The Punjab government stands shoulder to shoulder with the displaced persons and will assist them until their complete rehabilitation,” Sharif said. He said a Rs500 million relief fund had been set up for the IDPs and additional relief items worth Rs100 million had been sent to IDP camps. Sharif said the Punjab government had decided to extend financial support to IDPs to enable them to buy basic necessities.

Sharif termed assisting the IDPs a national moral and religious obligation.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2^nd, 2014.