PM Shehbaz Sharif calls for unity in fight against terrorism

PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on for unity in fight against terrorism in wake of recent Peshawar mosque blast, ARY News reported on Friday. 

As per details, PM Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting of the apex committee in Peshawar after the police line suicide blast.

The meeting was attended by the chief of army staff, chief ministers and other senior civil and military leadership.

PM Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and said that the whole nation is in mourning over the devastating terrorist attack on the Peshawar Mosque. He also announced a compensation of Rs2 million for the martyred and Rs0.5 million for the injured from the federal government.

He said that the criticism on social media and allegations regarding the Peshawar attack is baseless. Thorough investigations of the attack should be carried out and it was inappropriate to say that it was a drone attack, he added.

The PM recalled the successful military Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad. The armed forces with their sacrifices wiped out the menace of terrorism from Pakistan, the PM said.

He mentioned his invite to PTI chairman Imran Khan for the APC and said that despite personal issues with the PTI chief he sent an invite to him hoping for a positive response from the former prime minister Imran Khan.

Shehbaz Sharif also criticized the previous KP government for not spending the allocated money on enhancing the capabilities of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and said Rs 417 billion were disbursed to the province under National Finance Commission (NFC) Award for the fight against terrorism. He asked where did the money go.

It is pertinent to mention here that a powerful blast triggered by a suicide attack rocked a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines during the afternoon prayers.

According to the latest figures, at least 100 people have been confirmed to have lost their lives in the attack, while almost 169 people were wounded.

Security officials said the explosion took place around 1:40pm on Monday as Zuhr prayers were being offered as a result of which the roof of the mosque caved in. The rescue operation is still underway at the mosque site to retrieve the victims.