PTI govt pardoned convicted terrorists: Rana Sanaullah

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has blamed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for ‘rising terrorism’, saying that the previous government had pardoned convicted terrorists of banned outfits, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Speaking on a motion in the National Assembly on a recent wave of terrorism in the country, the interior minister expressed the resolve to win the ‘war on terrorism’ at all costs.

Blaming Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for rising terrorism, Rana Sanaullah said that the PTI’s policy to pardon the convicted terrorists of banned outfits proved to be wrong.

“The policies implemented in the last 4 years were the main factors of the rise of terrorism”, he said, adding that the PTI allowed the terrorist to return to Pakistan.

Rana Sanaullah said terrorism was a collective issue, which can only be eliminated jointly. “The political leadership and the military leadership are determined to seek guidance from the parliament in order to defeat terrorism,” he added.

Condemning the terrorist incident in Peshawar, the Minister said terrorism should not be bracketed with any community or ethnicity. He said every Pakistani is disturbed over the terrorist incidents, irrespective of where they happen.

The Interior Minister assured the House that the political and the military leadership would take the parliament into confidence over the recent wave of terrorism.

Giving detail of the Peshawar terrorist attack, Sanaullah said a suicide bomber exploded himself in the mosque, killing 100 people, including 97 police officials and three civilians. He expressed fear that the death toll can rise further as 27 of 216 injured are in a critical condition.

“TTP-Khurasani has claimed responsibility for the incident,” he informed, adding that investigations into the incident were underway and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will present findings of the probe before the parliament.

The Interior Minister also made it clear that these terrorist incidents are against Pakistan and not against any region or province of the country.

The statement came a day after 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.

The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the blast at a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines.