THE suicide bomb explosion carried out at the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalander on Feb 16 needs to be condemned in the most vehement manner. The Sehwan blast has only strengthened the people’s resolve not to yield to terrorism.

These misguided extremists are killing and maiming innocent people in the name of Islam. The militants claim that they are fighting for Islam, but this is not what our religion teaches us.

It is time for the nation to stand united from Khyber to Karachi and ensure that all terrorist networks are banished forever from our country.

Sarfaraz Ali

Sukkur

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THE gravest problem facing Pakistan is terrorism. It is the people’s earnest demand that the authorities eradicate this evil.

Terrorism has become a cancer for our society. However, besides foreign conspiracies to destabilise Pakistan economic and social factors are also responsible for the malady. Lack of adequate employment opportunities and extreme poverty among a sizable section of the population is helping terrorists in their malevolent agenda. The state needs to initiate further remedies besides the CPEC to give the people hope that a bright future lays ahead for their children.

Zakir Zia

Karachi

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2017