ISLAMABAD: A Mutta­hi­da Qaumi Movement (MQM) senator submitted an adjournment motion to the Senate Secretariat on Wednesday, seeking a debate on the Peshawar incident and calling for a countrywide operation against terrorists, particularly in south Punjab.

“The nation must unite on one-point agenda to rid evil forces once-for-all not only in Fata, but an operation should also be undertaken to destroy militants in cities and all areas of Pakistan, especially their safe havens in southern Punjab,” stated the motion submitted by retired Col Tahir Mashhadi of the MQM.

Mr Mashhadi termed the Peshawar attack “inhuman, horrible and monstrous” carried out by “inhuman fiends, barbaric and blood thirsty Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

“It is obvious that the federal government and, especially the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtun­khwa, cannot be absolved of their responsibilities for this grave breakdown of intelligence and security apparatus,” read the senator’s motion.

President Mamnoon Hussain has already summoned a Senate session on Friday evening and proceedings of the Upper House are likely to be dominated by discussion on Tuesday’s terrorist attack on Army Public School in Peshawar in which over 140 persons, mostly children died.

Sources told Dawn that the members of main opposition PPP had already drafted a resolution to be presented before the house the Peshawar incident and demanding stern action against attackers.

PPP members would present the draft of the resolution in a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee to be held before the Senate session on Friday to seek consensus of all other parties, including those sitting on Treasury benches so that the resolution could be passed unanimously.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2014