PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a resolution asking the provincial and federal governments to take effective steps for eliminating terrorism and providing security to the people to remove fear and unrest created due to terrorism.

The resolution was moved by ANP parliamentary secretary Sardar Hussain Babak. “The terrorism incidents occurred far and wide in the country and the lost of precious lives is regrettable and condemnable,” reads the resolution.

The resolution said all state institutions should play due role to overcome the increasing incidents of terrorism.

“All aspects and causes of terrorism should be brought before the people and efforts should be made for permanently eliminating terrorism. This assembly demands of the provincial and federal governments to take effective steps for eliminating terrorism and providing security to the masses to remove fear and unrest created due to terrorism,” it said.

Members for NAP enforcement, joint Pak-Afghan efforts against terrorists

Speaker Asad Qaiser chaired the session. After the passage of the resolution, Mr. Babak said both neighbouring countries (Pakistan and Afghanistan) had been engulfed by terrorism for the last 40 years.

“Instead of leveling allegations against each other for the incidents of terrorism, both countries should set to gather to permanently resolve this issue (terrorism),” he said.

The ANP leader said the non-state actors were active in both countries. He said Pakistan and Afghanistan should stop blame game and instead, work together against militancy.

Mr. Babak said religion was being used for achieving political power and goals in both neighbouring countries.

“Both states should have mercy on their citizens by eliminating non-state actors,” he said.

Participating in the debate, senior minister Inayatullah Khan said both Pakistan and Afghanistan should shun their differences for restoring peace in the region.

“Pakistan and Afghanistan should end the proxy wars against each other,” he said. Mines and minerals minister Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli said the restoration of peace could only be ensured in Pakistan when there was peace in Afghanistan.

She said both countries should sit together to resolve all contentious issues by dialogue.

Elementary and secondary education minister Mohammad Atif Khan said ‘some’ countries didn’t see Pakistan attract investment and prosper and therefore, they supported terrorism in the country.

He demanded the federal government implement the National Action Plan in letter and spirit to effectively eliminate terrorism from the country. The minister said all security agencies should increase their cooperation with each other to handle the current critical situation.

“All institutions of the country and leadership should renew the resolve of eliminating terrorism,” he said. MPA Saleem Khan of the PPP said so many resolutions against terrorism had been passed by this house but they all went to waste.

He demanded that the federal government launch operation against militant organisations in Punjab. “If military operations can be launched in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan, then why the government is reluctant to act against militants in Punjab,” he said.

Mufti Fazl Ghafoor of the JUI-F said the people of both countries were the ultimate sufferers of the ongoing proxy war. “Who are financially supporting the proxy war in the neighbouring countries?”

Azazul Mulk Afkar of the Jamaat-i-Islami said the country had failed to know friends and foes during the last 70 years due to the poor interest of the country by quarters concerned in the internal and external polices.

Mehmood Khan of PTI walked out of the house to protest the party leadership ignoring workers.

On a point of order, he complained that the PTI had been hijacked by few ministers to the resentment of workers.

The chair later adjourned the session until Feb 27.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2017