国际英语新闻：Pakistani official suspects Taliban behind Lahore suicide attack

ISLAMABAD, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik Wednesday blamed the Taliban for the suicide attack on a police office in the eastern city of Lahore, which killed at least 23 people.

Over 200 others were injured when a group of bombers fired and detonated a car bomb at the emergency police center.

    Responding to questions related to the Lahore suicide attacks, Malik told reporters in Karachi that militants after their defeat in Swat and tribal regions in the northwest, have now moved to other cities.

Rescue workers carry an victim from the site of a car-bomb blast in Lahore on May 27, 2009. A suicide car bomb on Wednesday flattened a police building in Pakistan's city of Lahore, killing 23 people

    Malik said Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud had threatened attacks across Pakistan if the military operation in Swat was not stopped.

    The country's survival lies in eliminating terrorism and extremism from the region, Malik said and added that the terror war had been imposed and the government had only two options either to hand over the country to the Taliban or fight with them. The government opted for the second one.

    It is difficult to impede suicide blasts but the government has taken many measures to stop the menace. Situation has improved as compared to last year when two or three blasts were occurring daily, said Malik.

    "With the better governance and restoring the writ of the government, we have no doubt that we would be able to control suicide blasts," he said.

    He said a major incident had been avoided in Islamabad. He asked the militants to lay down arms as they did not have any other option.

    Malik ruled out talks with the militants and said the operation would continue unless the last miscreant is eliminated.