Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said that cowardly acts of terrorism will never weaken Pakistan’s resolve to confront this menace.
He made these remarks during his speech at the two-day Inter-Parliamentary Conference of Presidents in Islamabad, where he mentioned the suicide blast in the federal capital and the Cadet College attack in Wana.
“Let me be very clear: These cowardly acts will never shake or weaken our national resolve to confront this threat. [terrorism]”, said.
“If anything, they reaffirm our conviction that dialogue, understanding and partnership are the only sustainable path to peace and security,” he said.
“We have just witnessed two heinous acts of terrorism in Wana and Islamabad in the last 48 hours, which resulted in the loss of 15 precious lives,” the minister said.
Condemning the attacks and extending solidarity to the families of the victims, Dar went on to say: “We categorically reject acts of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, whether they take place in Islamabad or anywhere in the world.”
Dar noted that terrorism was “one of the major global challenges of our time,” highlighting that “Pakistan has been a bulwark against this threat that recognizes no border or religion, gender, ethnicity or race.”
The suicide attack in Islamabad, the first in the federal capital in almost three years, came against the backdrop of international events being held in the capital, including the Inter-Parliamentary Conference of Presidents and the 6th Margalla Dialogue, while a tri-national cricket series involving Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe was also underway, with a match in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.
Officials said the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had claimed responsibility for the Islamabad suicide attack. According to the police, a lone attacker blew himself up at the main entrance of the complex, located in sector G-11, after failing in repeated attempts to enter the premises, where hundreds of litigants and lawyers were present.
Meanwhile, security sources said Wednesday that all khawarij involved in the attack on the Cadet College in Wana had been killed.
Pakistan has witnessed a spike in terrorist activities last year, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022 and vowed to target security forces, police and law enforcement personnel.
