LAHORE, Oct 11: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Interior Rehman Malik on Saturday said that security forces had arrested at least 14 suicide bombers, and the operation would continue till the elimination of terrorism.

Talking to journalists after attending a seminar, Mr Malik said out of 10,000 foreigners who came to Pakistan, mainly after the end of the Afghan war against the Soviet Union, 3,000 had married local women in tribal areas and “are now living there as sons-in-law of tribal people.”

Mr Malik said the government had to endure intense criticism after the Hangu operation. “But we had to decide whether to hand over the country to terrorists or wipe them out.”

He said the operation against terrorists would continue till their elimination. Lashkars of local tribesmen were now fighting against terrorists in the tribal areas, he said.

APP adds: Earlier at the seminar, Mr Malik said the government had put in place effective measures to eliminate terrorism.

Blaming the prevailing bad economic situation, poor law and order, and lack of governance on the previous government, Mr Malik said: “We have tried not to repeat mistakes committed by the previous government and introduced qualitative intelligence, besides enhancing the law enforcement mechanism.”

The government, he said, had bifurcated the country into two zones to cope with terrorism; Zone ‘A’ comprised Punjab and Sindh, while the NWFP, Balochistan and Fata were included in zone ‘B’.

Highlighting the prime minister’s three-pronged policy of dialogue, development and deterrence in tribal areas, the adviser said the government would use force against terrorists when they challenged the law of the land. “It is a good omen that now the entire nation is united to fight against the terrorists.” Praising the chieftains and tribesmen for fighting terrorists, he said they could depend on government’s support in this regard.