Peshawar : The statement of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif urging the Taliban to stop attacks in Punjab province has raised a controversy.
Sharif's argument is that his party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), had opposed the wrong policies of former president Pervez Musharraf in accepting orders from outside forces at the cost of peace in the country.
Without naming the United States, Sharif said his government did not take dictation from outsiders unlike Musharraf who enacted a bloodbath of innocents at the behest of others to prolong his rule.
Sharif, younger brother of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, was criticised by the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) of President Asif Ali Zardari and the Awami National Party (ANP) of Asfandyar Wali Khan for making this appeal to the Taliban, but argued that terrorism was an issue that affected the country as a whole and not Punjab alone.
Sharif further annoyed the PPP and its allies by advising Zardari not to address the parliament until constitutional amendments were agreed upon and the controversial 17th constitutional amendment was scrapped to restore democracy and reduce presidential powers.
The PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have been drifting apart in recent months and there is now no trust between the two major national parties.
Friendly opposition
The PML-N is sometimes criticised for being friendly opposition to the PPP-led federal government as it does not want to give up the control of Punjab, Pakistan's largest province in terms of population. The party is also known for having a soft corner for Islamist parties.
Meanwhile, the sudden increase in terrorist attacks in Pakistan has raised concern among the people and cast doubts about the government and military's claims that the militants' back had been broken. Lahore, Pakistan's second biggest city, in particular has suffered from large terrorist strikes targeting the army and intelligence agency offices. The death toll in the second attack rose to almost 60 people including several soldiers.
The suicide bombings and other terrorist strikes in Lahore prompted Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif to ask the Taliban to stop their attacks in his province.
Meanwhile, there was a big suicide bombing in Saidu Sharif, Swat's headquarters, on March 13 in which 14 people, including security and police personnel, were killed and over 60 were injured. This was the second suicide attack in Swat this year, the other having taken place on February 22.
Though the Taliban militants in Swat have been defeated, they retain the strength to carry out bombings and target-killings. Having lost their strongholds in Swat and rest of Malakand region, the militants have escaped to other places in the NWFP and the tribal areas.
