By IANS,
Islamabad : The Pakistani establishment “must sever all remaining links and give up any lingering support” for terror groups, a Pakistani daily said Wednesday, warning that terrorists are making sure that there is no space left in the country for men and women of enlightened beliefs.
“It is now time to strategically and precisely target all terrorists as they are increasing their war on the state and have established links between their networks for the purpose. Our establishment must sever all remaining links and give up any lingering support for these groups in order to uproot them all,” an editorial in the Daily Times said.
Noting that extremists have accelerated their nefarious designs against the state, it said that in the past seven days, almost as many attacks have left the country reeling from destruction and loss of lives.
A string of terror strikes in the country over the past week, including suicide bombings at a Sufi shrine in Punjab province April 4, have left 43 people dead.
“The militants are making sure that there is no space left in Pakistan for men and women of enlightened beliefs and moderate standing. They are obliterating any remnants of sanity so that only their ilk remains.”
It noted that anti-Taliban lashkars exist as the state has failed to protect the citizens from the extremists’ wrath.
“They exist to safeguard the beliefs, principles, views and values of an entire people who do not follow the rigid interpretations of the extremists’ theology. It is because of this very reason that they are being targeted so ruthlessly.”
The editorial sought more efficiency in the intelligence agencies and security apparatus to pre-empt any threats and strikes.
Lamenting that the country has become “fair game for the extremists, where lawlessness and anarchy are being spread to their advantage”, it said: “Without our intelligence agencies sitting up and taking notice of the fraying of the writ of the state and the murder of moderate elements, Pakistan will see many more such attacks on the citizenry.”