Pak PM called for stern action against all militant group

Islamabad: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has called for “stern action” against all banned militant groups, saying attacks like the recent bombing of a Shia neighbourhood in Karachi were aimed at weakening Pakistan’s social fabric.

Pakistan People’s Party-led government, which is set to complete its five-year term on March 16, has come in for strong criticism for its failure to prevent attacks on the minority Shia sect. A devastating bomb blast in the Shia neighbourhood of Abbas Town in Karachi killed 48 people and injured scores more on March 3. Nearly 200 people, a majority of them Shia Hazaras, were killed in two bombings in the southwestern city of Quetta in the first two months of the year.

Ashraf referred to two conferences of political parties that were organized recently to find solutions to the issue of terrorism and said any political initiative aimed at achieving peace and stability would be welcomed.

“The government believes that the challenge of terrorism and threats to peace and security of the country can only be tackled through national consensus and collective response,” he said.

Ashraf also spoke at length on the achievements of the PPP-led government, saying the party would present “ourselves to the people of Pakistan very soon” after completing a five-year term.

“I am confident that the masses would acknowledge the service rendered by this government despite financial constraints and adverse regional situation,” he said. The government, he said, is “committed to holding elections on time” and creating history by “ensuring the transfer of power by a political government”.