By NNN-APP
Islamabad : Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Nisar A. Memon Saturday vehemently said that Pakistan would strongly retaliate any intervention into its territory from any side.
Talking to the media persons here after addressing the International Hussainia Conference, the Minister expressed these views when asked about the possibility of US forces operation inside Pakistan.
“We have made it clear to the international community that we are quite capable to thwart designs of the terrorists. We would keep sharing the intelligence with friendly countries but forces from any country cannot be allowed to operate inside Pakistan. Our forces are fighting the war on terror and no activity would be allowed into our territory even an inch,” he said.
The Minister said the terrorist elements wanted to derail the country’s march towards democracy but the democratic process would move on despite all odds. He said the terrorist attack on PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto was a setback to the democratic process and the polls schedule had to be changed, but this process would be completed at all costs.
To a question, the Minister said that the government was making all possible efforts to track down the culprits behind the assassination of Ms. Bhutto and the government was fully supporting the Scotland Yard investigators.
“Whenever our forces come closer to the terrorists, the enemy increases the terrorist attacks. Such is the case now as we are tightening the noose against terrorist elements. But the coward acts of terrorism cannot deter the resolve of the government and the culprits would soon be brought to justice,” he said.
When the Minister was asked to comment on the deadline given by the PPP Co-Chairman Asif Zardari regarding UN investigations, the Minister said the caretaker government would take all necessary measures as and when needed.
“The entire nation is mourning the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. There might be differences over the modus operandi but the objective of the government and the PPP leadership are the same— tracking down the culprits involved in the tragedy,” he said adding that the government had killed around 200 terrorists during Swat Operation while it had tracked down the criminals involved in the terrorist attack in Sargodha.
To a question about the possibility of elections delay due to the formation of a national government, the Minister brushed aside such statements saying that there was no possibility of any election delay or formation of a national government.
“Politicians giving such statements are trying to create a situation of uncertainty by fueling in rumors,” he said. “The past government was elected by the people according to the constitutional provisions in 2002 and the caretaker government has been also placed under the constitution after the former completed its tenure. Now this government would hold polls and would transfer the power to the upcoming government under constitution.
So all the governments are national by all means,” he said adding that the cabinet discusses numerous options but there was no option of a national government under consideration.
Urging the people to support the government efforts against terrorists, the Minister said that President Pervez Musharraf was leading the war against terrorists despite the fact that he was himself targeted by the terrorists more than thrice.
“The terrorists have taken hundreds of thousands of lives of the innocent civilians in the name of Islam which is totally un-Islamic and such heinous acts cannot be tolerated. Ulema, civil society organizations, political parties and people from all walks of life should join hands to thwart the nefarious designs of the terrorist forces,” he said.
He said the terrorists coming from other states were committing the heinous acts of terror and the people should rise to the challenge posed by them.
“How could cold blooded killers attain the heavens after taking the lives of the innocent people. What relation they have with Islam and how they dare claim to be Muslims? Rather they are not even human beings,” he said.