Islamabad: Pakistan’s interior ministry has asked the security forces and all civil law enforcement agencies to remain vigilant.
The alert was issued amid the terrorism threat after the Lahore blast which killed three including a nine-year-old child and injured over 30 people.
“The Ministry of Interior asked all civil armed forces, police, chief secretaries, Frontier Corps and Rangers to stay alert and watchful,” Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said during a press conference in Islamabad.
Pakistan is witnessing isolated attacks by small terrorist groups, he said citing the recent Anarkali blast in Lahore. The Lahore blast was claimed by the Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA) - a merger of two banned militant groups, Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and United Baloch Army (UBA). Pakistan’s counter-terrorism police have arrested a few suspects over their alleged involvement in the bomb blast.
Last week, one Islamabad police officer was killed and two others injured in a shootout incident which the police officials and the interior minister described as “an act of terrorism.” However, “two TTP terrorists were also killed in Islamabad” a few days ago, the minister added.
Recalling these incidents, the minister said the country is witnessing a slight surge in the wave of terrorism since August 15 last year. “But this cannot bring down our nation, morale, spirit and armed forces” as the country is prepared to bravely face the challenge of terrorism, he added. As many as 80,000 Pakistanis have lost their lives in the war against terror and the country incurred economic losses of $150 billion, he said.
No talks or ceasefire with TTP
Pakistan’s government last year had entered a month-long truce with the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) but that expired on December 9 after peace talks failed to make progress. Sheikh Rasheed said the Afghan Taliban had “played the role of a bridge” in facilitating the talks that failed because the TTP’s conditions could not be accepted. However, “Our doors are open ... If they want to abide by the law and Constitution of Pakistan, but if they will fight, we will fight back.”
Earlier this month, Pakistan armed forces spokesperson Major General Babar Iftikhar, also clarified that there is currently “no ceasefire or talks” continuing with the banned TTP. “There’s no ceasefire. We are fighting. We are conducting operations every day and we will continue till the time we get rid of this menace,” he vowed.