Attock attackers about to be captured, says Nisar

MANDI BAHAUDDIN: Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Wednesday said that the law enforcement agencies were close to capturing the perpetrators of the suicide attack on Punjab Home Minister Col (retd) Shuja Khanzada. He said that the enemy shelling on the border, a clear reference to India, was involved in terrorism in Pakistan.
He praised the Rangers’ role in combating terrorism and said the alleged minus-one formula being applied in Karachi “is not ours”. Talking to reporters after addressing the 30th passing-out parade at the Pakistan Rangers Academy, Nisar said that the perpetrators of the Attock suicide attack would be brought to justice soon as the law enforcement agencies were investigating the incident in the right direction and were close to the culprits.
“The culprits are on our target. We are just waiting for the completion of the investigation,” he said. To a question about the resignations of MQM parliamentarians, he said the government never talked about any ‘minus-one’ formula and only those who ‘coined’ the idea could give the answer.
“Those who are raising hue and cry over it should be contacted for comments as the government has nothing to do with this,” he said. He said whosoever committed any crime, including the Imran Farooq murder, would be brought to book, adding that the resignations issue would be tackled in accordance with the law and the Constitution. He expressed grief over the assassination attempt on MQM leader Rashid Godil and prayed for his early recovery.
Nisar said terrorists operating in the streets had fled after the law enforcers broke their networks. Replying to a question about the security of the martyred Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada, he said he was a brave person and always believed in keeping the traditional low-level security in his squad.
As per the intelligence reports, the minister said Khanzada was advised not to visit the Shadi Khel village but in local politics, politicians are meant to meet the public at their native places.The Attock incident had strengthened the nation’s resolve to fight the menace of terrorism, Nisar remarked.
Referring to the PTI, he said the government had forgiven those who used derogatory language against the elected representatives, threatened the government and took unlawful and unconstitutional steps to oust the democratically-elected government.
“The government wants to promote the democratic norms and put the country on the path to progress and development,” he said. He commended the role being played by the Rangers and said tackling the enemies of the country was difficult as they were hidden.
“Success is our ultimate destiny because we are on the right side and terrorists are wrongly using the name of Islam in carrying out subversive activities and targeting innocent children, women and general public,” he said.He said the country’s enemies were getting assistance from outside to create anarchy and achieve their nefarious designs.
Nisar said India was continuously violating the ceasefire on the Line of Control and Working Boundary, targeting innocent civilians living there. Despite the financial constraints, he said, the government had allocated Rs45 billion for capacity building of the civil armed forces. He said the same enemy was behind terrorism in Pakistan who, on the one hand, talks of friendship and, on the other hand, shells the civilians along the LoC and the Working Boundary.
He said, “There are elements within us who target innocent people in return for money they receive from the enemy country. We have to win the war against terror at all costs.” Nisar said the enemy was coward and it wanted to create chaos in the country. “This is the same enemy into whose eyes we look at the Wagah border daily,” he said.