Pakistan vows befitting response following Chitral attack

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday vowed to respond firmly to resurgent terrorism following the terrorist attack on two military posts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower Chitral district, ARY News reported.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti urged the Afghanistan government to abide by the Doha Agreement, which ensures that Afghan soil will not be used against any country.

“The terrorists of TTP [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan] entered from Afghanistan,” he said, vowing that Pakistan would firmly to resurgent terrorism and would defend every inch of the country.

Sarfraz Bugti further said that it was their responsibility to defend every inch of the country, adding that Pakistan Army was giving a befitting response to terrorists.

The interior minister also lauded the people of Chitral for helping Pakistan Army in this ‘crucial time’, vowing that no one will be allowed to disturb peace by force.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in recent months, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.

It is pertinent to mention here that four Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred and 12 terrorists killed in Chitral attack on the Pak-Afghan border.

The Army media wing said that there was information about the terrorists’ movement in Nuristan and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan. The security forces timely action resulted in the killing of 12 terrorists.

A day earlier, Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani confirmed that Pakistan had issued a demarche to Afghanistan following a terrorist attack in Chitral.

Read More: Pakistan issues demarche to Afghanistan over Chitral attack: FM

“Pakistan registered a strong protest over the incident, summoned the Afghan charge d’affaires and handed over a protest note (demarche) to him,” the foreign minister said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.

FM Jalil Abbas Jilani said the Chitral incident was “very unfortunate” and said Pakistan was taking the recent rise in terrorism very seriously.

“It is the responsibility of the Afghan government that if attacks are occurring in Pakistan from their soil then it should stop them,” he added.

Crackdown against hoarders, smugglers

Speaking during the press conference today (Sunday), Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti announced to launch a massive crackdown against hoarders and said that there will be zero tolerance against smuggling and hoarding.

He said all the state institutions and provincial authorities are committed to go to any extent to eradicate the menaces of smuggling and hoarding from the face of the motherland.

The Interior Minister further said operation, against smuggling of wheat, sugar, urea, dollars and other commodities, has been continuing and the government recovered sugar and urea worth thousands of metric tons in various parts of the country.

He said 59 people involved in the illegal business of hawala hundi, have also been arrested. However, what an irony it is that now the elements involved in smuggling have started hoarding of various things.

The minister made it clear that no one would be spared and the state machinery is determined to curb smuggling and hoarding.

Bugti also announced price money for Pakistani citizens, who will help the government authorities, in identifying smuggling rackets. He said action will also be taken against illegal immigrants in the country and soon price money will be announced in this regard.