Pakistan will not surrender to radicalism and intolerance: Anwaarul Haq Kakar

Karachi: Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Wednesday said the war on terror will continue and it will not surrender to radicalism, extremism and intolerance, a day after outlawed TTP militants killed six soldiers.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, he said, “Those who have misconceptions that such attacks will tire us should know that we will never forget our martyrs or their sacrifices and won’t refrain from such sacrifices in future," the Dawn newspaper quoted him as saying.

Kakar's statement comes a day after six Pakistani soldiers were killed during an attack by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists on a convoy of security forces in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The attacks on security forces have seen a rise in the country after the truce between the Pakistan government and TTP ended in November last year.

“Pakistan will not surrender in front of radicalism, extremism and intolerance … this is our home and we will run the country on our terms,” Kakar stressed.

The first-time Senator from Balochistan province pointed out that Pakistan was spending its own money, collected through taxes on the country’s law enforcement agencies.

“We are not fighting on donations,” the premier said.

Referring to the suicide bombers as "the dogs of hell", Kakar said, "Do they think that my soldiers sitting in Waziristan, Balochistan or any other corner of the country don’t know what God has in store for them." He said that all the law enforcement personnel, whether they were combatting external aggression or were playing their role for internal security, were honoured and respected by the entire nation.

Kakar said that the government will relentlessly pursue the terrorists and they will be taken to task as per the law.

He went on to assert that Pakistan had a clear message for those who are spreading violence: “We will keep fighting against the misguided.” Pakistan's National Assembly was dissolved on August 9, ending the tenure of the government led by Shehbaz Sharif and paving the way for installing a caretaker setup. The general elections in Pakistan are expected to be held within 90 days of the dissolution provided the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) completes fresh delimitation of the constituencies.