‘State will not surrender to terrorist groups’, says PM

ISLAMABAD (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the State would not surrender to any terrorist group or organization and vowed that militants would be dealt with according to the constitution and law.
Strongly condemning the activities of terrorists in Bannu and other areas, he said such attempts aimed at spreading chaos in Pakistan would be crushed. PM Sharif termed terrorism a crucial issue of national security, which required collective thinking and a plan of action.
He said the federal government would eliminate the facilitators and hideouts of the terrorists.
The entire nation, he said, would eradicate terrorism side by side with the country’s brave armed forces.
The prime minister paid tribute to the valour and determination of the country’s armed forces fighting against terrorism.
He prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and directed the authorities concerned to provide them best treatment facilities.
Shehbaz Sharif said, “We will not let the sacrifices of the martyrs go to waste” and mentioned in this regard the military operations of Rad-ul-Fasaad and Zarb-e-Azb as significant measures to eradicate terrorism.
He said the great sacrifices of the personnel of armed forces, police, Rangers and other law enforcement agencies were unforgettable.
The prime minister said though main responsibility for law and order lies with the provinces, but the federation could not turn a blind eye to the problems. He assured the provinces to work along with them in fighting terrorism and vowed to fully implement the National Action Plan to eliminate terrorism. He emphasized enhancing the capacity and efficiency of the provincial governments as crucial in this regard.
Shehbaz said the federal government would assist the provinces in improving the professional capacity of anti-terrorism force and departments. He said restructuring of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s counter-terrorism department would be carried out and all the requirements pertaining to modern weapons and professional training would be ensured.
Cabinet’s energy conservation to provide relief to common man: PM: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the energy conservation plan of the federal cabinet would provide relief to the common man and save precious foreign exchange. The prime minister in a tweet said the coalition government was diversifying the energy mix by pivoting to renewables, which he termed as key to energy security.
“The idea is to gradually but surely increase our dependence on indigenous resources,” he said.
He mentioned that the federal cabinet had given serious consideration to an energy conservation plan. The plan will be approved after taking provinces on board, he added.
“Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures,” he said. “Its effective implementation will save precious resources and help address energy crisis”.