Web Desk: Pakistan has suffered more than 90,000 deaths in its decades-long fight against terrorism, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said, adding that security forces were conducting daily operations under the leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Addressing a seminar on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dar described terrorism as one of the biggest challenges facing the world and the region. He said Pakistan had confronted the threat with determination for decades and continued to bear a heavy security and economic burden.
He also called on Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities to prevent their territory from being used for attacks against Pakistan, stressing that regional cooperation was essential to achieving lasting peace.
Dar praised Munir and Pakistan’s armed forces for their role in counterterrorism efforts, saying security operations were taking place across the country on the field marshal’s instructions.
He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government had adopted a renewed approach to eliminating terrorism, while law enforcement agencies continued working to restore peace and stability.
Dar cited attacks on the Jaffar Express and the killing of workers in Balochistan as examples of violence that had threatened national security. He said the state’s institutions were working to counter such threats.
The deputy prime minister also called for action against the banned Balochistan Liberation Army, which he accused of continuing terrorist activities in the province.
Dar said Afghanistan’s role was critical to regional security and reiterated Pakistan’s demand that the Taliban authorities stop armed groups from operating against Pakistan from Afghan territory.
He urged the Afghan administration to end all forms of support for terrorist groups, including the provision of weapons, and said every Pakistani province had a responsibility to contribute to counterterrorism efforts.
Pakistan had also sent delegations to Afghanistan to pursue diplomatic and political solutions to the security dispute, Dar said, underscoring Islamabad’s efforts to address the issue through dialogue.
However, he insisted that attacks originating from Afghan soil must stop, saying lasting regional stability depended on preventing the use of neighbouring territory for violence.
Discussing the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dar acknowledged that imposing an emergency in the province was a difficult decision. He argued, however, that the measure had been necessary to protect national security and maintain peace.
The remarks come amid broader concerns over terrorism and security challenges in Pakistan’s border regions. Dar said the country had made substantial sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and that the international community should recognise the human and economic costs.
Dar said the prolonged conflict had inflicted severe damage on Pakistan’s economy. He also argued that political sit-ins in the past had further weakened economic conditions, forcing the state to take difficult decisions to address the resulting challenges.
Despite those pressures, he said Pakistan had continued its efforts to promote regional peace.
Dar maintained that the country’s contributions to regional stability should not be overlooked and reiterated that attacks against Pakistan launched from Afghan territory must end.
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