Military personnel were also aboard train: Shehbaz

QUETTA: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday said we need national unity and solidarity to support the armed forces in their fight against terrorism and Khawarij, adding that several military personnel were also aboard the Jaffar Express train that came under terror attack in the Bolan/Kachhi area of Balochistan on Tuesday.

Shehbaz was addressing a high-level meeting here on the issue of law and order in Balochistan. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Governor Balochistan Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, parliamentarians and high-level officials attended the meeting, reports APP.

Shehbaz said the terrorists brutally took hostages out of the train to a deserted place in helpless conditions. “They were returning to their native towns in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country to celebrate Eid,” he said. He said a meeting of the country’s leadership would be called to consult on the issue of terrorism as was done after the attack on the Army Public School (APS), Peshawar. “We need national unity and solidarity which will support the armed forces in their fight against terrorism and Khawarij.” He called upon the country’s leadership to sit together to discuss the challenges facing the country. The prime minister said, “Today we are together at a time when the whole nation is grieving, as three days ago terrorists attacked a train in which more than 400 passengers were travelling.”

He said the security forces came up with a strategy and saved the lives of passengers, including children and eliminated terrorists. The prime minister said the train hostage crisis was against the culture and traditions of Balochistan, adding the terrorists were trying to use every tool to create disunity in the nation. He said he took more than two hours of briefing on the security situation in Balochistan and visited the injured in the hospital. “We should be thankful to the security forces under the leadership of Chief of Army Staff and Corps Commander Quetta, intelligence agencies and SSG who rescued 339 passengers and eliminated 33 terrorists.”

The prime minister said, “I, on behalf of the people and governments of Pakistan, particularly Balochistan, pay tribute to the security forces for their bravery.” The prime minister said officers and Jawans were sacrificing their lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to save people of Pakistan from the scourge of terrorism. He regretted the language used by some elements in the country against the armed forces and Pakistan. Toxic propaganda against the armed forces was not acceptable and tolerable, he warned.

The prime minister, “We have to honour the sacrifices of our armed forces who leave behind their loved ones to protect the future of the country.” He said Pakistan’s eastern neighbour was unleashing propaganda which was first spewed by some elements in the country.

He said the governments at the federal and provincial levels and people should work together to ensure peace in the country, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Shehbaz said Pakistan would not be able to make progress without the elimination of terrorism from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

He questioned why terrorism raised its head again in the subsequent years and said the release of thousands of Taliban from jail had caused the surge in terrorism. The released Taliban included those involved in very heinous crimes, he added. Shehbaz underlined the need to raise a new force, equipped with modern weapons and equipment in Balochistan and said he was ready to provide all necessary resources to counter terrorism. He said Pakistan’s unwavering commitment against terrorism helped the world achieve peace and security.

Shehbaz pointed out that Balochistan was the biggest province of Pakistan in terms of area and people from all provinces were living there. The prime minister was of the view that Pakistan would not make progress and achieve prosperity without bringing Balochistan at par with other provinces. He recalled that the finalization of National Finance Commission award by the leadership of the country headed by Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari in 2010 was a big achievement. Punjab financially contributed to the development of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan earlier during the approval of the award, he said, adding Punjab gave away Rs600 billion for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the years but no visible development projects were executed. Talking about development in Balochistan, he said 300 agriculture students, including those from Balochistan, were being sent to China for higher education. The quota of Balochistan in education and skill development training was higher than other provinces, he noted.

Speaking on the occasion, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said the attack on the train and captivity of passengers was contrary to the traditions and norms of people of Balochistan. He strongly condemned the incident and vowed to wipe out terrorism from the province and ensure good governance.

Meanwhile, security sources said the pictures of those gunned down in the security forces operation on March 12 would be made public. They said the terrorists killed in the operation were equipped with foreign weapons, adding that the bodies of terrorists could be seen scattered around the train.

In a related development, during a meeting with Uzbek Ambassador Alisher Tukhtaev, who paid a courtesy call on him, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif underscored the need for devising a roadmap to work towards the enhancement of bilateral trade between Pakistan and Uzbekistan to USD2 billion, as had been agreed between the leadership of both countries.

The prime minister particularly highlighted Pakistan’s interest in enhancing cooperation with Uzbekistan in mining and minerals, railways, including the Trans Afghan Railways project, Special Economic Zones, banking, tourism, culture and renewable energy. He told the envoy that upon his return from Tashkent, he had tasked the ministers of relevant areas with ensuring prompt follow-up on the decisions taken by the two leaders.