How can we ignore terrorism, asks Punjab Assembly speaker

Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan has questioned how Pakistan can ignore incidents of terrorism, stressing that

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan has questioned how Pakistan can ignore incidents of terrorism, stressing that the country has made immense sacrifices in the fight against militancy.

Addressing a seminar in Lahore, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan said Pakistan had paid a heavy price in the war against terrorism, while the country’s armed forces had played a vital role in defending the nation.

He said India had faced defeat on every front during the war, adding that Pakistan’s military had effectively defended the country.

Recalling his personal experiences with terrorism, the Punjab Assembly speaker said he had grown up under the constant fear that he might leave his home and never return.

“I have witnessed many bomb blasts,” he said, recalling incidents in which dozens of people were killed. “I have seen 70 people die in a single bomb blast. Tell me, how can we ignore incidents of terrorism?”

Malik Ahmad Khan said he personally feared wars and explosives and wanted peace, while paying tribute to national heroes such as MM Alam for bringing honour to Pakistan at the international level.

He said Pakistan’s security forces were continuing to make sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and reiterated that the country had inflicted a major defeat on India in the recent “Marka-e-Haq”.

The speaker said hostile elements were carrying out terrorist activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, adding that students, innocent children and people from every segment of society had suffered and made sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.

He stressed that the sacrifices of victims and security personnel could not be forgotten and called for continued efforts to protect peace and national security.