UAE | General
Expatriates demand action to stop violence
Pakistani expatriates yesterday expressed their concern over repeated terrorist attacks in different Pakistani cities and demanded all-out efforts to curb the violence.
- By Aftab Kazmi, Bureau Chief
- Published: 00:53 March 6, 2008
Al Ain: Pakistani expatriates yesterday expressed their concern over repeated terrorist attacks in different Pakistani cities and demanded all-out efforts to curb the violence.
The recent surge in violence across Pakistan has worried the Pakistani community in the UAE. Demanding a clear combat strategy, community members yesterday asked the government, politicians, and the people to make united efforts.
More than a hundred people have lost their lives and many others have been injured in suicide attacks in the last one week in Swat, Dera Adam Khail, Rawalpindi, and Lahore.
The attacks have been weighing heavily on the minds of the people especially non-resident Pakistanis. They believe politicians back home are lost in a power tussle after the general elections and merely paying lip service to the cause of fight against terrorism. "That's not enough, please do something concrete to free the country from the clutches of the terrorists," said Altaf Ahmad, a Pakistani residing in Al Ain.
He said the majority parties should immediately form a government and evolve an effective strategy. "Why is the violence not their priority?" he said. The repeated attacks have been damaging the country's image outside, he said.
Balqees Khanam, a Pakistani housewife, said she had stopped watching Pakistani television channels that are airing disturbing news every now and then. "It seems the whole country is on fire and the government has failed in stopping it," she said.
She said her family is worried and planning to postpone their annual holidays in Pakistan. "First restore the peace and then decide on the future of President Pervez Musharraf, the chief justice, and other similar issues," she added.
Karamat Ilahi, another expatriate, said religious fanaticism and foreign interests have been playing havoc with the country. "It such a serious issue that it has put the national stability and survival on stake, but still the leaders are not considering it a top priority," he said.
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