Pakistan

Rooting out terror: Parliament, army on the same page, says Rabbani

Senate chairman urges political parties to forge unity

Our Correspondent March 15, 2015

Chairman of Senate offering Fateha after laying floral wreath at Quaid-i-Azam mausoleum. PHOTO: ONLINE

KARACHI: The country’s parliament stands behind the armed forces in their efforts to eliminate the scourge of terrorism, newly elected Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani said on Sunday.

He was speaking to the media on his visit to the Quaid-e-Azam mausoleum in Karachi where Senator Saeed Ghani and other leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party accompanied him. Rabbani laid a floral wreath at the monument and offered prayers.

“The nation expects of the political parties to forge unity among themselves [outside parliament] to help eliminate a multitude of internal issues, including terrorism, that this country faces today,” he said.

“Pakistan stands at a critical juncture with its stability threatened. History will not forgive any of the mistakes we make today,” he said.

The six-time senator affirmed his commitment to fulfil the expectations of the public as the Senate chairman. “I am fully aware of the problems being faced by the citizens and will carry out my responsibilities without any bias.”

On the law and order situation of Karachi, he said rooting out the menace of terrorism in any part of the country, including the metropolis, was a prerequisite to restore economic activities leading towards social and political stability.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2015.

COMMENTS (2)

a&a | 9 years ago | Reply Government and Army are on the same page except Punjab government supporter of Punjabi Taliban.

S.R.H. Hashmi | 9 years ago | Reply The heading quotes new Chairman of the Senate Raza Rabbani as saying that on the matter of rooting out terror, the army and Parliament are on the same page. However, the general feeling among the masses which also happens to be the reality of the situation is that on this issue, far from being on the same page, the armed forces and parliament (government) are not even in the same book. However, I agree with the other statement that in the efforts to eliminate the scourge of terrorism, country's parliament (government) stands behind the armed forces. It is indeed true that having passed on full responsibility of dealing with terrorism to the armed forces, the government is (hiding) behind them. The armed forces are doing much more than their fair share and have successfully cleared big dens of terrorists in the tribal ares and the return of the displaced persons to their homes has already begun. However, the greater part of the battle against militancy and terrorism has to be fought in the cities, towns and villages of the country. This is so because while eliminating the present crop of terrorists is essential, a comprehensive solution of the problem would require eliminating the sources, like environment, the fanatics and the institutions which promote intolerance, militancy and terrorism in the country. Obviously, tackling these is the responsibility, not of armed forces, but of the civilian government. However, being intellectually deficient and lacking courage, and able to visualize progress only in things made of bricks, mortar, cement and steel, and additionally fearing reprisals by the terrorists which pursuing the agenda against militancy would invite, the top government officials take the line of least resistance and concentrate solely on safer pursuits like planning and inaugurating motorways and metro buses which are useful to them in other ways as well. What is so surprising, and indeed worrying is that even the armed forces do not seem to be too serious in putting the required level of pressure on the government in order to force it to discharge seriously its share of responsibility in trying to eliminate the sources that create militant mindset, militants and terrorists instead of just instituting some cosmetic measures. Karachi

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