Terrorism: PTI calls for action against banned outfits

Call attention notice submitted in PA condemning Wednesday’s suicide attack

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday condemned a suicide attack at a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) office in Taunsa. The party demanded that the government take action against banned outfits across the province.

Adviser to PTI chairman Yasmin Rashid said the government should take action against those involved in the Wednesday attack at MNA Sardar Amjad Farooq Khosa’s office in which eight people were killed.

“Who stops Punjab government from acting against banned outfits remains a mystery,” she said. She said dozens of people had been killed in three suicide attacks over the last two months. Two out three attacks targeted PML-N legislators, she said. “Despite the tragic killing of Home Minister Shuja Khanzada [in a suicide bombing], the government has failed to take appropriate action.”

She called for a countrywide operation against extremism along the line of Operation Zarb-i-Azb. “In order to eliminate terrorists from the country, a clean-up operation is needed in southern Punjab which is hub of banned outfits,” Rashid said. “The government should have the courage to take action against all the banned outfits operating in the province after changing their names.”

PTI leader Andleeb Abbas said it seemed that the provincial government was not serious in implementing the National Action Plan against terrorism. “A culture of intolerance and hatred for other religions and sects is fueling militancy,” she said. Abbas favoured madrassah reforms. She urged the government to devise a stringent security plan for Muharram.

The PTI submitted a call attention notice in the provincial assembly on Thursday.

Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed submitted the notice asking the government to apprise the House about its findings regarding the Wednesday bombing.

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