PESHAWAR: Leaders of various political parties on Sunday condemned the armed attack at a police post and a suicide bomb blast in a hospital in Dera Ismail Khan, and expressed sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the terror incidents.

Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Pakistan Muslim League-N provincial president Amir Muqam, and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, in their separate statements here described the incidents failure of the government to ensure complete eradication of the anti-state elements.

The leaders stressed the need that the government should take preemptive steps to ensure protection to the lives and properties of the citizens. Besides, they also urged the government to provide appropriate medical facilities to the wounded people and proper compensation to the families of the people who lost lives.

The JUI-F chief said that the brutal attacks proved negligence on part of the government to take decisive action against the anti-state elements. He said such incidents were frequently taking place in Dera Ismail Khan but the government had failed to take effective steps to curb them.

Mr Muqam said that such gruesome incidents could not suppress morale of the people and law enforcement agencies as both the civilian and armed forces were united to uproot the menace of terrorism. He expressed his sympathies with the families of the victims and prayed for early recovery of the wounded people.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2019