QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly vowed on Saturday not to surrender before terrorism and would fight against terrorists with full force till their elimination.

The house adopted a resolution condemning the recent killing of policemen in a suicide bomb attack in Sariab area and also targeted attacks on them.

Members from the treasury and opposition benches paid tribute to the police personnel who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. They said security forces were being attacked because they were fighting against terrorists and their facilitators.

Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran (JUI-F), Provincial Minister for Revenue Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhel (PML-Q), Ms Masooma Hayat (PkMAP), and Mir Abdul Karim Nosherwani (PML-Q) moved a joint resolution in the house.

The resolution condemned the suicide attack on a police vehicle and targeted killing of a senior police officer and expressed sympathy with the heirs of the victims.

It said that terrorists could not force the government and people of the province through such attacks to bow down before terrorism.

Former chief minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, Provincial Minister Mohammad Khan Shahwani, Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhel, Mir Abdul Karim Nosherwani, Nasarullah Zerey and Mir Khalid Langove spoke on the resolution and condemned the attacks and said the government was making all possible efforts to stop such incidents.

They suggested that Pakistan should revisit its foreign policy and improve relations with neighboring countries.

When Speaker Raheela Durrani put the resolution for voting the house adopted it unanimously.

Shahida Rauf of the JUI-F moved an adjournment motion to discuss the recent grenade attacks in Mastung and Gwadar and killing of police officials in suicide and targeted attacks.

Speaking on the motion, she said that suicide attacks on forces, killings of police personnel and recent grenade attacks had caused fear among the people.

Ms Rauf said the government had failed to control the situation and its performance was restricted to photo sessions. She said the government did nothing to stop the incidents before they happened.

Former chief minister Dr Baloch opposed the motion and said a joint resolution regarding the issue was included in the agenda of the session.

He admitted that no doubt such incidents were happening in Quetta and other parts of the province because Balochistan was in the conflict zone.

However, he deplored the allegation that the government was doing nothing to control the situation. “The government is fulfilling its responsibility and taking steps to control the situation as a priority,” Dr Baloch said.

The motion was rejected by the house with majority.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2017