Terrorism is against the very idea of Pakistan, says PM Shehbaz

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed on Wednesday that the government will uproot terrorism from the country “as it is against the very idea of Pakistan” after a senior army officer was martyred in an exchange of fire in South Waziristan.

“Deeply saddened by the martyrdom of Brigadier Mustafa Burki and other soldiers. Our brave sons of the soil have laid down their lives protecting the country from the enemy forces,” tweeted PM Shehbaz while condoling with the families of the martyrs.

Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officer Brigadier Burki was martyred a day earlier during an intense fire exchange with terrorists near the Angoor Adda area of South Waziristan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had said in a statement.

The military’s media wing had shared that seven others were injured during the gun battle. Of those injured, two are critically wounded, it added.

"Brigadier Burki and his team put up a valiant resistance against the terrorists during the encounter and the officer sacrificed his life for the peace of the motherland," the ISPR added.

This is the second time this year that a high-ranking ISI official has been martyred by terrorists.

In January, Naveed Sadiq and Nasir Hussain — the director and inspector of the ISI's Counter-Terrorism Wing, respectively — were martyred after the duo was attacked in Khanewal.

Sadiq was martyred at a time when he was on a mission to take down the network of a banned outfit operating from Afghanistan.

Both officials were posthumously awarded the Hilal-e-Shujaat and Tamgha-e-Shujaat.