ISLAMABAD, Oct 29: The US military operations in Afghanistan should immediately be halted to limit the risks of internal conflicts in Pakistan, the Citizens’ Peace Committee (CPC) Rawalpindi-Islamabad said on Monday.

The committee said if the strikes on Afghanistan were prolonged, these would have drastic effects on Pakistan.

It is clear that since the start of the airstrikes, the refugee influx into Pakistan has increased, and also unnecessarily created tension in Pakistan, it added.

The CPC also demanded that the government disarm all extremist groups.

Condemning the killings of innocent Christians in Bahawalpur, the committee said those responsible for the murders should be tracked down and brought to justice.

“Such blatant acts of terrorism show that the government has failed to rein in extremist groups”, it said.

The CPC said it was a well-established fact that these groups had been provided support and protection by the establishment for the last two decades.

It said now there was an international demand to stop this sponsorship. It was incumbent on the state to use the information its agencies have about terrorist organizations to curb these with full force, the CPC said.

“This is the only way to protect innocent lives from the barbarity of terrorism. The government must ensure the safety of Christians and other minorities from the madness of religious fanatics”, the committee said.

“This vicious and indiscriminate act of violence has brought immense loss of life to the Christian community and the Pakistani public at large”, it added.

The CPC said the claim that the murders took place to “avenge” the deaths of Afghans in the US bombings was despicable.