LAHORE: A high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was held in Lahore on Tuesday to review the law and order situation in wake of Monday’s bombing outside Punjab Assembly.
The higher security officials briefed the prime minister over the security situation. The initial report of the suicide attack was presented before Nawaz Sharif.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Security Lt Gen (r) Nasser Janjua, Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and other high officials attended the meeting.
The meeting also offered prayers for the victims of yesterday’s terrorist incident.
Addressing the participants, Nawaz Sharif said, “War against terrorism will be taken to its logical conclusion.” He said the enemy would be defeated with national determination, adding that security forces and law enforcement agencies have rendered exemplary sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. “Eliminating terrorism in our national responsibility,” he added.
“Army and other military and civil law enforcement agencies have given matchless sacrifices to achieve great success in this war. No one should think that we will stumble in this struggle, due to such terror attacks. Our enemies will be defeated by our national resolve. To wipe out terrorism is our national duty,” the prime minister told the participants of the meeting.
The prime minister said, “Neither I nor this nation will forget the sacrifices of our valiant police officers and officials. This is a war of right and wrong and we as a nation are on the right side of history in this war. We will soon see the end of this cancerous terrorism and its Ideology. Swift, ruthless and successful response is the only option for us.”
Additional IG CTD Rai Tahir told the participants that CCTV footage has helped in speeding up the investigations. Briefing the participants, the CTD chief said that 12 terrorist plans were disrupted in year 2016, 231 terrorists have been killed by CTD Punjab and 769 terrorists have been arrested.
He said counter terror department and Punjab Police with the support of government will take revenge from these terrorists as soon as possible. “Our fallen heroes have given ultimate sacrifice and we will not let our self and our nation down,” the AIG said.
At least 13 persons lost their lives and 80 others were injured in a deadly suicide blast outside the Punjab Assembly on Monday evening. DIG City Traffic Police Capt (r) Ahmad Mobin Zaidi and Acting DIG (Operations) Zahid Gondal were among the six police officials martyred.
The outlawed Jamaat ul Ahrar claimed responsibility for the suicide attack, naming DIG Mobin as an official of Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in a statement issued to journalists.
The suicide bomber could have targeted the over 1,500-strong crowd of protesters, but he went after the senior police officials, especially DIG Mobin and SSP Gondal.
