• PM Shehbaz Sharif called for forging national unity against terrorism
• He suggested a complete audit of the spending in KP since 2010
• The prime minister announced compensation for Peshawar blast martyrs

PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for forging national unity against the terrorism and urged all the stakeholders to shun their differences and sit together to wipe out the menace in all forms and manifestation.

Addressing an apex committee meeting at the Governor House, the prime minister said that leadership of all political-religious leadership irrespective of political, religious and linguistic ideologies should stand united to win the fight against terrorism.

The apex committee meeting was attended by Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir, Interior Minister Rana Sanullah, chief ministers of four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, federal ministers and national and political leadership except for PTI leadership, who refused to attend the meeting.

Referring to negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), he said talks were underway with his his economic team led by the finance minister Ishaq Dar.

He said despite IMF’s strict terms and conditions, the government would take the decisions while keeping in view the national interest supreme and accept them.

The prime minister said the economic challenges being faced by the country were enormous and the IMF conditions that the country has to meet are “beyond immigration”, adding the government would take strict decisions to take the country out of the economic quagmire.

The prime minister expressed his government’s strong resolve that the fight against terrorism would continue till its logical end and extermination.

He said that undue criticism, propaganda and blames over the police lines’ mosque blast was highly condemnable, adding that “we have to admit the facts behind the blast that had made the whole nation grieved and sadden.”

He said that it would be probed that how the terrorist sneaked into the mosque and carried out such a huge blast that claimed over a hundred innocent worshipers and many others injured.

He said the federation and provinces should jointly fight out terrorism as after every incident of the past the federation was blamed for not cooperating with KP

PM Shehbaz Sharif disclosed that Rs 417 billion were provided to KP since 2010 under the National Finance Commission Award that was supposed to be spent for capacity-building, infrastructure development and equipment for the counter-terrorism department.

He suggested a complete probe and audit of the spending of such a huge amount in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said that a well-equipped modern forensic lab, safe city project and infrastructure for CTD could also be established in the province.

On this occasion, the prime minister announced Rs2 million for each martyr’s family and Rs0.5 million for each injured in the police lines mosque blast.

He said that the purpose of the convening of the Apex Committee meeting in Peshawar was to express solidarity with the bereaved families and appraise all the stakeholders about the law and order situation in the province.

Referring to recent terrorist attacks on CTD Bannu and Police Lines Peshawar, Shehbaz Sharif said the whole nation was worried that the menace of terrorism, which has re-emerged in KP.

He said the successful operations of Zarb Azab and Radul Fasad had immensely helped in wiping out of terrorism from the province. He lauded the sacrifices of security forces, government officials, people, civil society and civil armed forces for the protection of their country.

The prime minister said all the national political and religious parties’ leadership including the one who did not want to shake hands with him, were invited to today’s Apex Committee meeting and APC to be held on February 7 in Islamabad.

He called for rising above personal likes and dislikes and leaving the double standard politics to curb terrorism and extremism. Later, collective Fateha was offered for eternal peace of the departed souls and speedy recovery of the injured in the police lines blast.

On arrival, the prime minister was received by KP Governor Ghulam Ali, Caretaker CM Azam Khan, and officials of the KP government.

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