Sharif vows to rid Pakistan of terrorism

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today said that his government has taken concrete measures to address the challenge of terrorism as he vowed to rid Pakistan of terrorism.

"In our resolve to rid the country of terrorism, we will march further than any of the world powers," Sharif said while speaking in the Senate.

He said that there is no question of lagging behind in the fight against terrorism.
On setting up military courts, he said, "They (Asif Ali Zardari and some other political parties) talk about my arrest if the military courts are set up. But let me tell them how I can forget the innocent blood of the children.

"How I can forget the heads of the soldiers the terrorists played football with. How I can forget the bad treatment with the soldiers bodies by terrorists. This is in my mind and not my arrest (by the military courts) as some talk about it."

Zardari had cautioned Sharif about his decision to set up the military courts.
Sharif said he would present the sketch of the constitutional amendment in the upcoming session of the National Assembly while parliamentarians will pass the amendment in this regard.

"It was decided on December 24 that the government will establish military courts and military courts will only hear cases related to terrorism while the government will fix a time period regarding the working of military courts," he said.

Former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Lahore High Court Bar Association have also opposed setting up military courts terming it would be "unconstitutional step".
Sharif also said the Operation Zarb-i-Azb has delivered a fatal blow to terrorists.

"More than 50,000 Pakistanis have been killed in the war against terror," he said, adding the government had called on all political parties for the formation of a National Action Plan.

He said the meeting of parliamentary leaders had unanimously approved a 20-point agenda.