NEW YORK: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Pakistan reserves right to take action if Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or other terrorist groups engage in cross-border terrorism.

“Pakistan will not tolerate such cross-border terrorism by TTP or other terrorist groups, like BLA, which are also receiving financial and other support from hostile quarters. We reserve right to take direct action against them,” foreign minister said addressing an event to commemorate 8th anniversary of terrorist attack on Army Public School in Peshawar held here at UN Headquarters.

Hosted by Pakistan, event was held as part of UN’s Office of Counter Terrorism’s “Remembrance of Victims of Terrorism” campaign. Started with one-minute silence, commemorative event brought together UN member states, victims, experts, academics, civil society organisations and representative of law enforcement agencies.

In his address, he said 132 children and eight teachers and staff at School had died in that attack and several others were injured. Attack was claimed by so-called Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan an entity listed as terrorist organisation by Security Council and many Member States, he added. “This terrorist attack was particularly heinous because clear aim of terrorists was to kill children. In this sense, it was targeted attack designed to deal grievous blow to morale of people of Pakistan.” “Pakistan’s operations were successful. Our territory was cleared of terrorists. We paid a heavy price 80,000 civilians and soldiers killed or injured and economy set back by $ 120 billion,” he remarked. However, Bilawal said unfortunately TTP and some other terrorist groups found “safe havens” and even more frequent attacks have been conducted against Pakistan’s military and civilian targets. He told participants that Pakistan’s intelligence agencies had “solid proof” of financial and organisational support and direction provided to TTP.

“We have shared comprehensive dossier with Secretary-General and Security Council containing concrete evidence of such external support to TTP and other terrorist groups operating against Pakistan.” Pakistan expected that new authorities in Kabul would be able to convince or constrain TTP from conducting cross-border terrorist attacks against Pakistan as they had promised to do in Doha Agreement and in subsequent policy declarations.

“We need to eliminate “safe havens” of these terrorists, to cut off sources of their financing and sponsorship and to target and hold accountable individuals and entities responsible for terrorist attacks or for sponsoring and financing such attacks,” he commented. Deputy Under-Secretary-General and Representative of United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism Raffi Gregorian said APS attack had shocked world. He said there was no justification of attacking children particularly when they were there to learn.

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 17 2022

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