国际英语新闻：Pakistani political leadership ponder over measures against militants

ISLAMABAD, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani political leadership met here Friday to ponder over the serious security issues confronting the country and to chalk out a plan of action, according to local media reports.

The meeting, which continued for four and half hours, agreed on taking effective steps to tackle the wave of terrorism across the country, the private TV ARY News reported.

 

Residents return to collect their belongings from their destroyed homes in Peshawar October 16, 2009, a day after the area was hit by a car bomb. A car bomb was set off by remote control in a neighborhood where government workers live in Peshawar, killing a child and wounding about a dozen people, police said on October 15.

Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani briefed in detail the top political leadership on current security situation in the country. The meeting at the Prime Minister House was attended by political party leaders, federal ministers and provincial governors.

    The military leadership also briefed the politicians on possible operation in Waziristan and its implications.

    The political leadership lauded the efforts being made and sacrifices rendered by the Army with the aim to purge militancy and extremism from the country.

    The political leadership expressed complete confidence in the strategy being adopted by Pakistan Army for tackling the insurgency and extremism.

    The leaders observed that in spite of the successes in Malakand and Swat of North West Frontier Province (NWFP), the recent upsurge of terror incidents pose a serious threat to the sovereignty and integrity of the state.

    The private news agency NNI said Pakistani political leadership has reaffirmed the national consensus to establish and maintain the writ of the state to weed out terrorist elements.

Residents return to collect their belongings from their destroyed homes in Peshawar October 16, 2009, a day after the residential area was hit by a car bomb. A car bomb was set off by remote control in a neighborhood where government workers live in Peshawar, killing a child and wounding about a dozen people, police said on October 15.

Talking to the media after the meeting, Pakistani Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said the political leadership was taken into confidence on the overall security situation in the country.

    He said during four and half hours, the participants discussed in detail the prevailing situation and the measures needed to address it effectively.

    Replying to a question the Information Minister said there was already consensus on the issue of terrorism and the meeting discussed futuristic details.

    He said the participants appreciated the services being rendered by the armed forces in fighting the menace of extremism and terrorism.

    A wave of terror attacks have claimed lives of more than 100 people in recent days in Pakistan. The government has beefed up security across the country and is considering an operation against militants in South Waziristan tribal area, part of the lawless regions along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. 

Security forces race towards the Manawa police training centre after it was attacked by gunmen in Lahore on October 15, 2009. Militants launched a string of attacks on police in Lahore in the Pakistani heartland and in the troubled northwest on Thursday, killing 24 people after a week of violence in which more than 100 people died. Six policemen and four gunmen were killed at the Manawa training centre, said city police chief, Pervez Rathore