Agencies closing in on Attock attack perpetrators: Nisar

Two suspects arrested as interior minister says terror attacks won’t dent counterterror resolve

LAHORE/ MANDI BAHAUDDIN:

Condemning the assassination of Punjab Home Minister Col (retd) Shuja Khanzada and attempted murder of MQM lawmaker Rashid Godil, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said such cowardly attacks could not weaken the nation’s resolve to fight the scourge of terrorism.

“Every heinous step of terrorists strengthens our resolve to fight terrorism,” he told journalists after addressing the 30th passing-out parade at the Pakistan Rangers Academy. He warned against unnecessary debate on incidents of terrorism as, according to him, it creates hurdles in fighting anti-state elements.

Nisar pledged that the perpetrators of the Attock suicide bombing would be brought to justice soon as the country’s law enforcement agencies were closing in on them. “The culprits are on our target, we are waiting for completion of investigation,” he added. “The terrorists who were earlier operating on streets have fled after their networks were smashed.”

Asked about the security of the slain home minister, Nisar said that according to intelligence reports, Khanzada had been advised against visiting his ancestral Shadi Khel village but in local politics politicians could not avoid meeting their electorates at their Deras (guest houses).

About the en bloc resignations of MQM lawmakers, he said the issue would be tackled in accordance with law and the Constitution. However, he added that the government has never spoken about any ‘minus-one’ formula and only those who conceived the idea could give an answer. MQM chief Altaf Hussain had said that by resigning en masse his party’s lawmakers had rejected the ‘minus-one formula’.

About the murder of MQM convener Dr Imran Farooq, he said whosoever committed the crime would be brought to book. Pakistan had recently allowed British investigators to quiz three men in its custody who were allegedly involved in Dr Imran Farooq’s murder.

Nisar said the government had forgiven those who used derogatory language against the elected representatives, threatened the government and took unlawful and unconstitutional steps to oust the democratically-elected government because “the government wants to promote democratic norms, and put the country on the path to progress and development”.

Earlier addressing the passing-out ceremony, Nisar congratulated the batch of 499 cadets for completing their six-month tough training and exhibiting professional skills in the parade. “Although you have completed your training but a practical life starts from here. You are going to join the Punjab Rangers force which has the responsibility to safeguard the country’s frontiers and ensure peace and security within the country,” he added.

The minister said it was difficult to tackle the hidden enemy and the civil armed forces have to face them. He expressed confidence that the civil armed forces would continue to come up to the expectations of the nation and succeed in flushing out terrorists. “Success is our ultimate destiny because we are on the right side and terrorists are wrongly using the name of Islam for targeting innocent children, women and general public,” he added. Islam, he said, is a religion of peace and it does not allow anyone to kill innocent people.

Nisar said Pakistan’s enemies were receiving assistance from outside to create anarchy for their nefarious designs. India is continuously violating ceasefire at the Line of Control and working boundary and targeting innocent civilians.

Attock attack suspects arrested

Two people suspected to be involved in the Attock suicide attack were arrested near the house of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanuallah in the Samanabad area of Lahore on Wednesday.

Police spokesman Muhammad Ramazan said intelligence teams had raided a house in the C-Block of Samanabad at 4 AM and apprehended the two suspects. The men were between 25 and 35 years of age, and are thought to have ties with a banned outfit, he said.

Weapons and explosives were also found in their possession, the spokesman added.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2015.