The government declared in the Senate that the issue of militancy will not be allowed to drag on for five years and, if necessary, decisive action will be taken against the militants.
Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lt-Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch assured the House that the government was trying its utmost to address the issue of terrorism through talks but, if need arose, would go to ‘any extent’ to restore peace in Pakistan.
He was responding to a unanimously-adopted resolution that called upon the government to prepare and make public a workable plan for Fata to cleanse it of the militants network, provide compensation to the victims of militancy, relief and rehabilitation of IDPs and a massive programme for the socio-economic uplift of the people.Senators Afrasiab Khattak and Farhatullah Babar had moved the resolution during the last session, which was adopted unanimously on Monday after the government did not oppose it..
Afrasiab Khattak from the Awami National Party said that the situation was so bad that today Pakistan did not enjoy good relations with its four neighbours and the prime reason was the presence of the network of militants on its soil, who had virtually occupied it.
